Endless Night
by cheri1
Summary: 10Rose with Jack and Torchwood. Sequel to The Blood, Red Rose. After the death of Ian, the other vampires are determined to stop the Doctor. They lure him and Rose back to London to deal with them once and for all. Some Doctor slash. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a sequel to the story, The Blood, Red Rose. Parts of this story are based off the Doctor Who Missing Adventure: Goth Opera by Paul Cornell.

Chapter One

Azaroth entered the conference room and looked around the table at his fellow vampires. He had called this emergency council meeting after receiving some disturbing news. One of their own had been assassinated. He faced the twenty members assembled in the meeting room and bowed low to them.

"My brother immortals, thank you for coming today."

"Why have you assembled us, brother Azaroth?" the vampire at the other end of the table said to him.

"I have assembled you here because there is a threat in our midst, a threat that has risen again to plague us. The Doctor has returned."

There were hushed whispers among the other vampires. The one sitting at the other end of the table finally silenced them.

"Do you have proof of the Doctor's return, brother Azaroth?" he said.

"Yes, I do, brother Bartomaus. I bring you a witness."

He stepped outside the door and returned a moment later with a short, thin, red-haired vampire beside him.

"This is Lucius," he said to the council members. "He is the one who has knowledge of the Doctor's return."

The council members bowed to him.

"Welcome, brother Lucius," Bartomaus said. "Please tell the council what you know."

Lucius bowed.

"I thank the council for granting me an audience," he said. "I wish to confirm Azaroth's claim that the Doctor has indeed returned."

There was more hushed whispers before Bartomaus called for silence.

"How do you know this?" Bartomaus said.

"My blood brother, Ian, is the one who was assassinated. He showed me the Doctor and his companion through our mind link."

The council looked at each other.

"Are you sure it is the Doctor?" Bartomaus asked.

"Yes, my brother. Ian confirmed it."

"What did he look like?" another council member asked. "I remember when the Doctor was here in 1993. I can confirm if it is him or not."

"He is tall and thin with short, brown hair and piercing brown eyes," Lucius said. "His companion, Rose, is medium height, with blonde hair and hazel eyes."

"No," the vampire said shaking his head. "That is not the Doctor nor is it his companion. The Doctor had blonde hair and his companion's name was Nyssa, I believe. It cannot be them."

"But, if you will recall, brother Morlock," another council member said. "The Doctor is a Time Lord with the ability to regenerate. The Time Lady Ruath regenerated, once she gave all her blood to Yarven, and the Doctor has traveled with many companions over the years. Ruath told us that as well."

Morlock snorted.

"Ruath, yes I remember her, arrogant enough to think that she could be the vampire lord's consort. She thought that just because she sacrificed a regeneration to restore Yarven and was clever enough to think of the time freeze that would have condemned the Earth to perpetual night, that she was better than the immortals. I was not sad when I heard she had been defeated."

He looked at Lucius.

"Did this Ian not know of the Doctor? Why did he not alert the council that he had returned?"

"I am not certain, my brother. But, I do know that Ian has been disdainful of our kind ever since he was converted. He kept himself apart from the other immortals with the exception of myself. I was his only friend. He was also extremely arrogant. I do not know if he knew who the Doctor was, but I could see him wanting the glory of turning the Time Lord, enslaving him and his companion, and keeping them for himself. I was a friend, my brother, but only just. He kept me at arm's length like he did with everyone else. However, he did show me the Doctor and Rose through the mind link we shared, although I was unaware of his true identity since I have only been a vampire for a few years and do not remember the last time he was among us."

"And what became of Ian?" Bartomaus demanded.

Lucius sighed.

"He is dead, my brother. The Doctor dispatched him."

The council members groaned and looked at each other.

"Ian was a fool not to alert us of his presence and now because of his folly, he is dead!" Morlock yelled. "The younger ones think that they can do whatever they want without consulting the counsel. They all watch these damned vampire movies now. All of those movies depict our race as young, wild, and able to do what they want when they want. It makes the younger ones think they can do the same. They have no respect for the ancient laws and codes laid down millennia ago by the first vampires nor do they have any respect for the authority of those who are far older and wiser than they are. This Ian was an idiot to think he could keep the Doctor as his pet. The Doctor needs to be captured and done away with before he destroys us the same way he destroyed Ian!"

"But how do we do that? The Doctor possesses a TARDIS," one of the council members said. "He has the ability to travel through time and space and land anywhere in Earth's history. It will be a nightmare trying to track him, let alone catch him."

"I might be able to help with that," Lucius said. "The companion, Rose, has a mother named Jackie Tyler that lives in London and she was there visiting her with the Doctor when Ian found her."

The members glanced at each other.

"Then perhaps this mother might prove useful as bait," Bartomaus said. "To lure the Doctor and his companion back here. After all, if she goes to visit her mother, she must have some way of contacting her when she's traveling in the TARDIS."

"And then what?" Bartomaus asked. "If the Time Lord comes back and we manage to subdue him, what then? What should we do with him?"

"We shall decide that when the time comes. For the moment, we must concentrate on luring him back to us. Then, once we have him in our power, his fate will be decided."

The council members looked at Lucius.

"Do you know where Rose's mother lives?" Bartomaus asked.

"Yes, she lives in the Powell Estate, it's a council estate in south east London," Lucius replied.

"Then, I want you to take a few other immortals, go find Jackie Tyler, and force her to contact the Doctor. If she won't do it, kill her, and wait for him yourself. The Doctor is bound to come back there sooner or later and you must be ready for him when he does." Bartomaus said.

Lucius bowed.

"Consider it done, my brother," he said. "I will take two immortals and carry out your orders immediately."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackie sighed when she finished washing up the dinner dishes and wiped her hands with a tea towel. The sun had set, and it was the end of another uneventful day. It was so quiet and lonely without Rose around. Her daughter was off somewhere in time and space having adventures and risking her life with an alien, and she was left here at home, passing the time by watching soaps and gossiping with her neighbors. Despite all that, deep down inside, she was glad Rose was away from the flat. The Powell Estate was no place for her; she deserved a much better life than working in a shop and living in a council estate. As much as she hated the Doctor sometimes, she was also thankful he had chosen her for a better life than the one she had if she had stayed with her.

She put the tea towel down and walked over to the closet. She pulled out the hoover, figuring cleaning the flat would pass the time and help take her mind off Rose. She closed the closet door, picked up the plug and started to plug it into the outlet when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. Sighing, she walked over to it.

"I'm coming," she called out.

She opened the door and saw a red headed man standing there flanked by two youths with long, black hair. All of them had pale skin and piercing eyes.

"Jackie Tyler?" the red haired man said, with an estuary accent.

Jackie had a bad feeling about these men, and she tried to shut the door, but the man grabbed a hold of the door and pushed it open. Jackie tried to scream, but the man shoved his hand over her throat. He opened his mouth, and Jackie's eyes widened when she saw his elongated canines.

"Keep quiet, or I rip your throat out," he snarled at her. "I want to know where the Doctor is. I want you to get in touch with him and tell him to come back here with your daughter, and if you don't..."

He ran his tongue along his fangs.

"You'll live to regret it!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

(Meanwhile on the TARDIS…)

The Doctor smiled at Rose, as he led her down a corridor. They had just had a lovely dinner and now the Doctor had planned a surprise for her. He looked back and smiled at her. She had dressed in a lovely blood red evening gown, was carrying a small, red purse and had her hair tied up in a bun. She looked like a vision, and the Doctor couldn't remember any woman looking lovelier. For the trillionth time since he met her, he thanked whatever deities were listening that he had met her.

He turned down another corridor.

"Where are we going?" Rose asked, looking around. "I don't think I've ever been down this way before."

"Ah, there are many rooms in the TARDIS that you haven't seen," the Doctor said to her. "I am taking you to a very special room. I call it the terrace room."

Rose was intrigued. She quickened her pace a bit, nearing closer to him. They turned another corner, and the Doctor stopped at a door. He smiled at her and put his hand on the doorknob.

"Close your eyes," he said.

Rose nodded and shut her eyes. The Doctor opened the door, took a peek inside, and then let her into the room. He stopped her, shut the door behind them and came up behind her. He put his hand on her shoulders.

"Open your eyes," he whispered.

Rose opened them and gasped. They were standing on a terrace on a moonlit night. Beyond them lay green, rolling hills. She could even fell a warm, gentle breeze on her face. She looked at the Doctor.

"What happened? Where are we?"

The Doctor grinned.

"In the TARDIS," he said.

He chuckled at the shocked look on her face.

"Oh, come on, Rose, don't you think my ship is capable of creating anything you can find on Earth? I mean, TARDISes are meant to be lived in, you know."

"The more I see this of this ship, the more I love it," Rose breathed.

The Doctor nodded.

"Now you know why I'm so fond of her, and why I'm so upset whenever there's a chance I might lose her."

He raised her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. Smiling, he led her over to the far left of the terrace where a baby grand piano stood.

"Ta-daaaa, your surprise," he said to her.

Rose stared at him, wide-eyed.

"You can play the piano?"

The Doctor was annoyed.

"Yes, I can play the piano. Beethoven taught me and believe me, it was hard learning from him. He couldn't hear me whenever I asked him a question, and I never was sure if I was playing correctly since he couldn't hear the music. I finally had to go to Mozart just to make sure I had really learned how to play the piano properly. Anyway, I did learn, and now I will play for you."

He pulled back the piano bench and sat down. He patted the seat, and Rose sat down beside him. He cracked his knuckles and poised with his fingers over the piano keys. Then he began to play a soft melody and Rose smiled, as he looked at her and sang.

Once in your lives, you will find her.

Someone who turns your hearts around and next thing you know, you're closing down the town.

Wake up, and it's still with you, even though you left her way across town.

Wonderin' to yourself, hey, what have I found?

When you get caught between the moon and New, New York City.

I know it's crazy, but it's true

If you get caught between the moon and New, New York City

The best that you can do, the best that you can do, is fall in love.

The Doctor, he does as he pleases.

All of his life, his TARDIS is his joy.

And deep in his hearts he's just, he's just a boy.

Living his life one day at a time, he's showing his Rose a pretty good time.

He's laughing about the way they want him to be.

When you get caught between the moon and New, New York City.

I know it's crazy, but it's true.

If you get caught between the moon and New, New York City.

The best that you can do, the best that you can do, is fall in love.

Rose laughed when he picked up a saxophone that had been resting against the piano leg.

"Took lessons from Kenny G too," he said.

Rose sat, staring at the Doctor, enraptured, while he played a sax solo. After he completed the solo, he put the sax down and finished the song. When he was done, Rose clapped enthusiastically.

"Oh my God, that was brilliant. Is there anything you can't do?" she said.

The Doctor pretended to think that over, as Rose laughed and slapped his arm playfully.

"No, there isn't a single thing I can't do," he said to her, shrugging. "I'm brilliant at everything."

Rose snorted.

"Yeah, right, pull the other one," she said, rolling her eyes.

The Doctor giggled and pulled her into an embrace.

"Are you questioning my brilliance, Rose Tyler?" he said, grinning.

"Yeah, I am, and apparently you are too, since you just said in your song that deep inside, you were a little boy. Are you trying to tell me that you have the brain of a five year old then?"

"No, I was trying to tell you that even though I'm 901 years old, I still can act youthful, like a little child."

"No, I think it means you can throw temper tantrums like a little child when you don't get your way."

The Doctor stared at her.

"Don't you dare, Doctor. I know that look," Rose said, trying to wiggle out of his arms.

"What look, Rose? Oh, you mean the, I am gonna tickle you until you pee your knickers look? Is that the look you mean?"

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare, Doctor! I mean it! I'm warning ya! I'm…"

Rose was cut off when the Doctor thrust his fingers into her armpits. She howled with laughter, as the Doctor tickled her unmercifully.

"Doctor, quit!" she screamed. "We're gonna fall off the bench! Quit!"

"Don't ever mock my brilliance, Rose Tyler. That is a big no-no!" the Doctor said, breaking off the assault. "I am the Oncoming Storm, Ka Faraq Gatri, The Lonely God, Mister Wonderful, Hunky Boy, Foxy Man, Studly Stud, The Beautiful Boy with the Bountiful Buttcheeks, The Alluring Alien with the Amazing Ass, The Sexy Studmuffin with the Sonic Screwdriver, and B.O.B."

Rose stared at him.

"B.O.B.?"

"Yes, it's my own personal acronym. Stands for Brains of Brilliance. I thought of it in the bath one night. I was sitting there playing with my rubber ducky, and I suddenly said to myself, I KNOW, I'LL CALL MYSELF B.O.B! Yet another example of my awe-inspiring cleverness."

"You…have a rubber ducky?" Rose said, amused.

"Yes, why, don't you have one?"

"Um…no."

The Doctor sniffed.

"I pity you then," he said. "Everyone should have a friend like Clarence, he makes bath time fun."

Rose eyed him.

"Doctor."

"Yes?"

"You scare me sometimes."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment. Then, an evil grin spread over his face and before Rose could get away from him, he was tickling her again.

"I'll show you real fear, Rose Tyler, when you soil yourself from laughing!"

He giggled when Rose howled with laughter and tried to wriggle free from his grasp. As he tickled her, he suddenly heard her mobile ringing.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled. "Quit, I gotta answer that!"

"No! I won't let you alert the outside world that you are being tortured! You are mine, you hear me, mine!"

"Doctor, I swear to God, you let me answer my mobile, or I'll bite your nose off!"

The Doctor quickly let up and put his hands over his nose.

"No, I can't let you damage my beautiful nose, I'll let you go!" he said, in mock horror.

He leaned into her ear, as Rose grabbed her purse off the top of the piano and reached into it for her mobile.

"For now," he purred.

Rose gave him a playful push and looked at the menu screen.

"Mum," she said to the Doctor.

The Doctor rolled her eyes.

"Well, of course, who else would it be?" he muttered to himself.

"Hey, mum, what's up?" Rose said, ignoring the gagging noises from the Doctor.

She frowned when there was silence on the other end.

"Mum, you there?"

"I'm here, sweetie."

Rose frowned. It sounded like her mother was forcing herself to be cheerful.

"Mum, are you alright?"

"Yes, dear, I'm fine. I…just miss you."

"I miss you too, mum."

"I don't," the Doctor muttered.

Rose eyed him. The Doctor shrugged.

"What's going on?" Rose said, turning her attention back to Jackie. "You sound weird. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, love. But, is the Doctor nearby? I need to talk to him."

Rose was taken aback. She could tell the Doctor heard it too because he was muttering to himself about why she needed to talk to him.

"You…want to talk to the Doctor?" Rose said, not sure if she heard her right.

"Yes, love, I need to talk to the Doctor right away. It's urgent. Is he nearby?"

Rose glanced back at the Doctor. He sighed and held out his hand.

"Probably saw a bloody spider and needs me to come back and stomp on it," he muttered to himself.

"He's right here, mum. I'm giving the phone to him now," Rose said.

She handed the mobile to the Doctor. The Doctor put it to his ear.

"Yes, Jackie, what do you want?" he said to her.

"They're back, Doctor."

The Doctor frowned.

"Who is?"

His eyes widened when he heard a male voice yelling in the background, and Jackie's yell, as the receiver was dropped to the ground. He glanced at Rose. She had heard the clatter when the receiver hit the ground and was staring at him fearfully. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Jackie, are you there?" the Doctor said.

He gritted his teeth when he heard Jackie yelling in the background.

"Jackie!" he yelled.

He laid his hand against Rose's cheek when he saw the fear in her eyes.

"Jackie, are you there?" he yelled.

"Is this the Doctor?"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes when the male answered the phone.

"Yes, who is this?" he demanded.

"My name is Lucius, Doctor. I am an immortal, and I was a friend of Ian."

The Doctor's face turned white.

"No," he murmured.

"Doctor, what is it?" Rose asked.

"You killed my friend, and I and my fellow immortals want you to pay for your crime," Lucius hissed. "So, here's what I want you to do. My friends and I are going to wait here at Ms. Tyler's flat, and if you don't get back here pronto and surrender yourself, she will be drained of every last drop of blood. Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly," the Doctor said, between gritted teeth.

He looked at Rose and noticed that she could hear every word he was saying. He stroked her hair when he saw the fear in her eyes.

"Mum," she whispered to herself. "Oh, God, mum."

"The date here is November 27th, 2006, and it's now 7:06 p.m. If you are not back here before 9 o'clock p.m. on this exact date, Jackie Tyler dies."

The Doctor was about to say something when Lucius hung up. He lowered the mobile and sighed deeply, as he looked at Rose.

"I'm afraid our worst fears have come true," he said to her. "The vampires figured out what I did, and now they want revenge."

"Oh, Doctor, what are we going to do?"

The Doctor swallowed hard.

"You're not going to do anything. I'm the one they want. I'm going to surrender myself to them."

"No, Doctor, I'm coming with you! I won't let you go alone. I…"

Before she could say anything more, the Doctor put his fingers up to her temples, quickly entered her mind, and knocked her out. He caught her when she started to fall backwards off the bench and held her close to him.

"Oh, my love," he murmured, holding her to his body. "I almost lost you once to a vampire. I won't risk losing you again. I'm sorry, but you and the TARDIS must go far away from me, so they won't get either of you. Forgive me, my hearts, I know you would willingly die for me, but I won't let that happen. I love you too much to see you turned into one of them."

He kissed her temple. Standing, he gathered her into his arms and brought his leg over the bench. Staring at her lovingly, he walked out of the terrace room towards Rose's bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The Doctor carried Rose to her bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and went through her drawer. He found a lavender nightdress for her and laid it at the foot of the bed. He stripped off her dress and threw it over a nearby chair. He took off her bra and threw that on top of the dress. Then, he dressed her in her nightdress and laid her down under the covers. He adjusted her body making sure she was comfortable before he pulled the covers up to her chin.

"I know you are going to be angry when you wake, Rose," he murmured, as he stroked her hair. "I understand your anger, but at the same time, I can't let anything happen to you. My life would end the moment you became a vampire."

He kissed her on the lips and lingered there for a moment before rising and walking out of the room.

Several minutes later, he returned with a sealed enveloped. He laid it against the lamp on her bedside table making sure that her name was visible. He then leaned over, gave her one more kiss, and whispered his love for her before rising, walking out, and shutting the door.

He walked to the console room and put in the exact time and destination. He was planning to land a few minutes after Lucius had hung up, in order to ensure that Jackie was unharmed. He didn't know if this Lucius would keep his word that he wouldn't harm her until 9 o'clock, but he was in no mood to find out. He wasn't that fond of Jackie Tyler, but he wasn't ready to see her turned into the undead, and he knew Rose would never forgive him if she was. He finished up and sat down on the captain's chair. He felt a nudge at the back of his mind and sensed his ship's melancholy.

"I'm sorry, old girl, but I have to do this," he said, looking up. "I hope you will forgive me and keep Rose safe. She means more to me than life itself."

The TARDIS rumbled and nudged his mind affectionately. The Doctor smiled.

"Thanks, girl," he said.

He felt his ship's anguish, and he closed his eyes wishing he could somehow hold her the way he could hold Rose. His ship had been so good to him, had always been there for him over the centuries, and there were many times when she suffered in silence, as she watched him sacrificing himself for the ones he loved and getting hurt and killed because of it. He, himself, was in no great hurry to go rushing back to the Powell Estate and into the arms of the undead, but he knew he had no choice. He knew the moment Ian burst into flames that his fate was sealed, and it was only a matter of time before his friends came looking for him. He kept his fears from Rose praying that he was wrong, but he should have known his prayers would be useless. He had left a letter for Rose, hoping what he said would convince her that he had no choice in doing this.

He had nearly lost Nyssa when the vampire baby that had come for his blood bit her instead; events, which he later found out, had begun in his seventh life when he battled the vampire Lord Yarven. In a wibbly wobbly way, Ruath, his classmate at the academy, targeted his fifth life after resurrecting Yarven with her own enhanced blood because she decided that his fifth life was more vulnerable than his seventh. She had developed a mist, containing vampire DNA that would instantly turn people into vampires, the exceptions being the ones who were protected by faith or garlic, those poor souls would spontaneously combust. In addition to this, she had also developed a Time Freeze machine, which would put the Earth in a time loop that would keep it in perpetual night. Once the humans were converted into vampires, they were to gather and attack Gallifrey as one. Ruath had tried to wire the Doctor into this Time Freeze machine, so she could use his mind to power the circuits, but he had escaped and managed to defeat most of the vampires, and then Nyssa defeated Ruath after she opened the door of the TARDIS and expelled her into the vortex. Her death cured the Doctor of his vampirism, just as Ian's death cured him the second time.

That was the first time he had briefly became a vampire, the second was when Ian bit him, and he was in no mood to go through it a third time. But, just as he had protected Tegan by giving himself willingly to Ruath and gave himself to Ian to protect Rose, now he would do it a second time for the woman he loved. He only hoped that this sacrifice would keep her safe. He also hoped she wouldn't take it upon herself to come and rescue him and fall into the hands of the vampires that way. Somehow, he feared that would be exactly what she would do.

As the TARDIS neared closer to its destination, he began to steel himself for what lay ahead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucius hung up the phone and grinned at his companions.

"That oughta bring him running," he said to them.

He looked over at a thin, raven-haired vampire.

"Joshua, guard the door just in case someone comes to visit her," he said.

"You got it, mate," he replied.

He looked at his other companion. An older, slightly fatter man with dark hair, and a couple of battle scars marring his face.

"Seth, keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't move," he said, nodding at Jackie, who was at Seth's feet.

"Oh, me and Jackie here will be best mates, won't we, Jackie?" Seth said, chuckling at the terrified expression on her face.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked Seth.

"We ain't gonna do anything, ducky, as long as the Doctor cooperates," Seth replied.

"What are you going to do to him?" Jackie asked.

"That's none of your concern," Seth said. "The only worry you should have is keepin' yourself alive."

Just then, the three vampires heard a wheezing noise and saw a blue police box materialize in the corner of the living room.

"Well, well, man sure does know how to keep appointments, eh boys?" Lucius said, as his companions chuckled.

He walked over to the TARDIS and stood in front of the door. A moment later, it opened, and the Doctor emerged. He glared at the three vampires, as he closed the door behind him. He locked eyes with Jackie.

"Jackie, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jackie replied.

He turned his attention to Lucius who was smirking at him.

"Okay, I'm here, now let her go," he said, pointing to Jackie.

Lucius glanced at the TARDIS door.

"Where's your companion at? Rose, wasn't it?"

"Rose is somewhere where you can't get to her."

"Oh, really?" Lucius said, walking towards the door.

He gasped and jumped back when the TARDIS suddenly began wheezing and faded from view.

"Yes, really," the Doctor said, smugly.

Lucius hissed at him.

"Where has she gone?" he demanded.

"Somewhere in time and space," the Doctor said, shrugging. "I'm the one you want, not her. Now leave her mother alone, take me, and do whatever you're gonna do with me."

He grunted when Lucius seized his face and jerked it over to him.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Lucius growled. "You think you have it all figured out. Well, this time is gonna be different, Doctor. You may have escaped the immortals before, but you won't escape us now. You will go before the high council, and they will decide your fate, and I guarantee you, it won't be a pleasant fate either. Now move!"

The Doctor glared at him for a moment and then, with a sigh of resignation, he began to walk towards the front door. Lucius grinned at his companions. Suddenly, without warning, he hit the Doctor hard in the back of the head. Jackie screamed as he lost consciousness and fell on his face.

"What did you do that for? He was going with you!" she said to him.

Lucius grinned.

"Yes, but we don't want him to know where he's going," he said, walking over to her. "We want to make absolutely sure that there is no escape for him."

"Please, don't hurt him," Jackie said.

Lucius smirked.

"Aw, why, do you care for him?"

Jackie looked at the Doctor, still sprawled out on the floor.

"He's a bit annoying at times, but yes, I do care for him, and I don't want to see him hurt," she said.

She glared at the vampires when they looked at each other and let out an, "Awww."

"How sweet, it's so nice the mother likes her daughter's boyfriend," Lucius said. "And, when we find your daughter, we'll be sure to send you her love."

Jackie gave him a smug grin.

"You won't ever find her, the Doctor sent her somewhere safe."

"Maybe, maybe not. But it really doesn't matter, we have what we came for, and you need to take a little nap right now. We also don't want you following us. So, farewell, Jackie Tyler, and thank your lucky stars that we all have a taste for younger, fresher meat."

Jackie grunted as Lucius decked her. They laughed as she fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Come on, boys, let's go pick up something to eat on the way home. I'm starving!" Lucius said to his companions.

He picked up the Doctor and slung him over his shoulder. Laughing, the three vampires walked out of the flat and shut the door behind them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She bolted upright in the bed when she saw where she was.

"Doctor?" she cried out, leaping from her bed and running down the corridor.

She ran into the console room, panic gripping at her heart. Tears came to her eyes when she saw it was empty.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" she screamed.

She noticed the TARDIS was in flight.

"Take me back! Take me back to him!" she bellowed at the TARDIS. "I want to go back!"

_Rose_, she heard the TARDIS say in her mind.

"Take me back! Take me back!" she half begged, half commanded.

_Rose, listen. There is a letter from the Doctor on your bedside table. Read it!_

"Take me back, please, take me back," Rose sobbed.

_Read the note, Rose, please._

Feeling absolute despair, Rose forced herself to turn around and head towards the bedroom. Entering it, she found the letter propped up against her lamp. Sobbing, she sat down on the bed, grabbed it, and opened it. Tossing the envelope on the bedside table, she stared at the folded piece of paper with trepidation. Finally, with a shaky sigh, she forced herself to unfold it and read it.

My precious Rose,

By the time you find this letter, I will be gone. I am sorry for knocking you out, but I cannot risk you falling under the vampires' control. When Ian possessed your mind and threatened to make you his bride, I felt like my whole world had stopped. The thought of you being made into an undead monster filled me with unspeakable terror and once we had gotten free of him, I vowed you would never suffer the same fate again. I am a man who believes in keeping his vows, and that is why I have prevented you from coming with me. I have set the TARDIS coordinates for a spot in Earth's future, and the timer is set so that she will dematerialize one minute after I am outside the doors. This is not only to protect you, but also to prevent them from getting the TARDIS or forcing me to pilot it. I had to deal with time traveling vampires once before. I have no desire to do it again.

Now comes the part of the letter that you will hate the most. Once the TARDIS lands, you are to stay in it. Under no circumstances will you attempt to locate me. You are my life, my hearts, my soul, and my joy. You are more precious to me than the rarest gem in the universe, and it would cause me untold anguish to see you enslaved. I ask this request as a friend, and a lover. I beg you, my beloved, do not come for me. Stay with the TARDIS. Watch over her, and protect her. She is just as much your home, as she is mine. Stay within her protected walls. Do not go back to your mum or Mickey's flat. They will probably be lying in wait there. Just stay where you can be kept safe from their evil. If you truly love me, then you will honor this final request.

And now, my hearts, I must say farewell. Hopefully, I will be able to break free and make it back to you, but if I don't, know that I will always love you and keep you in my thoughts and dreams.

Farewell, my angel,

Your Doctor.

Rose stared at the letter in shock for a moment. Then, she threw back her head and let out a heart-wrenching wail of despair, as her heart shattered into pieces.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

(June 19th, 2016…)

Rose slowly got up from the bed when she felt the TARDIS land and power down. She had spent the past hour crying uncontrollably, and she was weary and heartsick. Still, she had to see where they had landed. She had to know exactly where she was. Even if she couldn't be with the Doctor again, and she had already made up her mind to honor his request, she could at least determine where she was in time and space. As she rose, she felt herself stumble a little from exhaustion, and she put her hand against her dresser to steady herself. She felt the TARDIS's concern, but she ignored it and slowly shuffled out of the room.

She headed towards the front door; she was nearly to it when she felt the TARDIS in her head.

_Rose, where are you going? s_he thought to her.

Rose turned bleary eyes up towards the ceiling.

"I…I just have to know where we're at. I won't try to rescue the Doctor, I promise," she said.

_Be careful then, Rose, stay near me. It doesn't feel safe outside._

Rose frowned, wondering what she meant. She nodded.

"I won't go far. I just want to look around and find out where I'm at."

_Earth, Hyde Park, London, June 19__th__, 2016,_ the TARDIS supplied for her.

"Ten years, he sent me ten years ahead," Rose murmured.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shut out the multitude of images of what might have happened to the Doctor during those ten years. Was he even alive now? It was hard for her to imagine the universe without the Doctor in it, which was saying something, since she had only known him for a year. But, that was how big an impact he had made on her life. The thought of him dying was unbearable to her, and she had to fight the urge to break her promise and go find him.

"I…I still want to look outside, TARDIS," she said. "I…just want to look around."

_Be careful, Rose._

Rose nodded. She put her hand on the door handle, and then she had a thought.

"TARDIS, can you do a scan and see if the Doctor's still alive?" she asked. "I don't want to find him; I just want to know if he's still alive."

_I will, Rose._

Rose smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

She opened the door and stuck her head outside.

"It was nighttime. A full moon was out, illuminating the trees around them. Rose looked around. Seeing no one, she stepped outside the TARDIS. The night was warm and pleasant, and Rose felt it lifting her spirits a little. She wished that the Doctor was beside her, and her heart ached wondering what had become of him. Pushing that thought from her mind, she walked through the trees. The TARDIS was nestled in the middle of the woods, giving it a bit of cover. Rose ventured a few feet away, so she could take in the night air and collect her thoughts. Then, the urge to know the Doctor's fate overtook her, and she walked back into the TARDIS.

"Do…Can you sense the Doctor?" Rose asked, closing the door and walking over to the console.

_Yes, he is in London._

Rose's heart soared.

"Oh, thank God, the Doctor is alive," Rose said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Is…is he nearby? Is he hurt?"

The TARDIS was silent for a few minutes.

_Rose,_ she finally thought to her. _I do pick up the Doctor's_ _brain waves. But…I can't pick up any other vital signs, not even body heat._

It took a moment for that to sink in.

"He's…"

_Yes, I think he is a vampire now, Rose,_ the TARDIS thought sadly. _I can determine his location, but I cannot pick up any vital signs, except for his brain waves._

"No, it can't be true, he can't be one of them," she whispered.

She reached out her hand and gripped the edge of the console when she felt lightheaded.

"He…"

She looked up at the TARDIS.

"He was able to keep himself from falling under Ian's control the last time," she said desperately. "That's how he was able to defeat him. He let himself be made into a vampire, so he could have their abilities. If he did it once, he could do it again. The Doctor is still himself, I'm sure of it, he's just a vampire now. If I went to him, helped him find the vampire that did it to him, and killed him, then he'll go back to the way he was."

_Rose, no, it's too dangerous. You don't know for sure if the Doctor is still himself. They could have done something to his mind to enslave it, or change him into one of them. It isn't safe. The Doctor wouldn't want you risking your life like this. You read the note, Rose; you know he wants you to stay here where you'll be protected. If he is under their control, then he will know you were sent to this exact date and location, and the vampires might order him to come after you. I can protect you from him and any other vampire that tries to attack you, but you must stay inside me._

Rose leaned against the console feeling sick to her stomach. The Doctor's death she could deal with, at least he would have been free of the vampire's control. Knowing he might be an undead slave was a thousand times worse. She lowered her head to her hands, feeling utterly helpless and at a loss about what to do.

_Rose, there's something else I have to tell you,_ she heard the TARDIS say.

Rose lifted her head and looked up at the ceiling.

"What is it?" she asked, in a hollow tone of voice.

_I've detected a time loop outside,_ the TARDIS said.

Rose frowned.

"Time loop?"

_Yes, someone has put time on a short loop, so it will repeat over and over. It isn't just night outside, Rose, it is eternally night. Which means you are in even worse danger since the sun will never rise, and the vampires can be out at any time without fear of disintegration. There isn't any time that you can go outdoors that you will not be completely safe. _

Rose let that sink in. She had a feeling she knew exactly who was responsible for doing this, and she couldn't help the tears that fell down her face. With each passing moment, it was getting worse and worse. The Doctor had been turned into a vampire and they had used him to warp time to their advantage. She knew now that his mind wasn't free, there was no way he would create a time loop willingly. She looked up at the ceiling.

"Isn't there something we can do for him?" she asked.

_Not without capturing him, and I don't know if that can be done safely, especially if he is working with other vampires. We don't know how many of them are out there. If time has been stuck for awhile, then I'm sure they've been busy building up their numbers. For all we know, they could have the whole city under their control now. I'm sorry, Rose, I don't want to risk bringing him in here, gaining control of me and making things even worse than they already are. I know you're worried, but…_

Rose frowned when the TARDIS trailed off.

"What is it?" she asked.

_He's here, Rose, he's right outside the door._

Rose heard the TARDIS activating the dead lock seal on the doors. A moment later, she heard someone pounding.

"Ah, come on, old girl," she heard the Doctor saying. "Let me inside for old time's sake. I want to see you…and see Rose."

Rose felt a shiver go down her spine when she heard the sinister tone in his voice.

"Rose, are you in there? Let me in," he said. "I want to see you again, angel, tell the TARDIS to open the door."

_Don't listen to him, Rose,_ the TARDIS thought to her. _He's not himself._

"Come outside, Rose, see the brand new world I created," the Doctor said. "It's beyond belief. Come and share the eternal night with me."

"Oh, Doctor, what have they done to you? You said Ian couldn't control your mind since you were practically a vampire yourself. How did they do it?"

She gasped when the Doctor pounded on the door.

"LET ME IN, YOU LITTLE BITCH, BEFORE I RIP OFF THIS DOOR WITH MY BARE HANDS!" he bellowed.

Rose felt the tears streaming down her face, as she backed away from the door.

There was a pause and, for a moment, Rose thought he had gone.

"Rose," the Doctor said in a small, pitiful voice. "Rose, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's my mind. They enslaved it. I'm trying to fight their influence, and I am able to break free, but only for short periods."

_Don't listen, Rose, it's a trick,_ the TARDIS warned.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep my mind free. I need your help, Rose, please let me in. I need the TARDIS to fix what they've done."

Rose was torn, unsure whether the Doctor was telling the truth or not. The TARDIS sensed the conflict raging within her.

_Rose, come here, I want to show you something,_ she said to her. _Come to the monitor. I will show you what the Doctor looks like now._

Ignoring the Doctor's pleas, Rose slowly walked to the monitor. She stood in front of it, and the TARDIS showed her the Doctor. She put her hand over her mouth when she saw him.

His snow-white skin shone in the moonlight. He was wearing his usual suit and leather coat except that his suit was jet black with a charcoal grey shirt and black tie. The coat was jet black as well. Most disturbing to her was his face. He had numerous piercings through his lip, nose, ears and eyebrows, his eyes were cold and merciless and dark, and his hair had been dyed as jet black as his coat. The black of his clothes and hair, combined with the whiteness of his pale skin made him look even more cadaverous and sinister. Rose couldn't bear to see him in this state and turned away from the monitor.

"Rose, please, let me see you," she heard the Doctor begging. "Let me hold you in my arms. There's nothing to fear, Rose. I won't harm you. I would never harm you."

"GO AWAY!" Rose forced herself to scream. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

There was a pause and then Rose heard the Doctor let out an roar of rage, and he resumed pounding on the door.

"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME OUT, ROSE! THIS IS MY SHIP, AND I WILL GET BACK IN, IF I HAVE TO DISMANTLE HER PIECE BY PIECE! I WILL HAVE YOU, ROSE, YOU HEAR ME? YOU WILL BE EITHER MY CONSORT, OR MY SLAVE, BUT YOU WILL BOW AT MY FEET. YOU WILL BE TURNED, BITCH, EVEN IF I HAVE TO TIE YOU DOWN AND FORCE MY BLOOD DOWN YOUR THROAT! YOU HEAR ME? YOU WILL BE MINE, ROSE; DON'T DOUBT THAT FOR A SECOND!"

Rose collapsed into the captain's chair, sobbing, while the Doctor laughed insanely.

"Yes, my love, it's only a matter of time until you are in my arms," he said mockingly. "You may think you can hide in there forever, but I know my ship far better than you. I will get you, Rose, and then you will know the sweet embrace of eternity. Don't you want that, Rose? Don't you want to spend eternity with me? Aren't I the one you dream of, long for? Come to me, Rose. Open the door and kneel at my feet, and I will show you mercy. Nothing will happen to you, Rose. No other will have you. You are mine, and mine alone. I am the leader of the vampires now, Rose, and my word is law. Do you hear that, my beloved? You will be the bride of the most powerful vampire on Earth. You will have privileges that my other concubines do not have. Together we will spend the unending night feasting and making love, with no worries and no cares. Doesn't that sound good, angel? An eternity with me in your arms? Come outside the door, kneel at my feet, and acknowledge me as your lord and master, and I will make all your fantasies come true in return for your obediance."

Rose couldn't bear any more. Sobbing, she ran away, back to the safety of her bedroom wanting nothing more than to get away from the sound of the Doctor's voice.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

(November 29th, 2006 8:05 p.m...)

The first thing the Doctor noticed, as he regained consciousness was he was being carried. He opened his eyes slightly and noticed his head was resting on Lucius's shoulder while he, and his two friends were walking along a dark corridor. He noticed that Lucius was unaware that he was awake, so he kept still, listening to them as they talked.

"I hope when the council gets through with the Doctor they give him to us. This one is well fit. I bet he tastes delicious," he was saying to the others.

"I agree, mate, but you might have to fight Balthazar for him. You know Balthy can't resist a pretty face," Joshua replied.

"P'eh, just let him try to get him away from me. I'll stake him to the ground and let the sun fry him," Lucius said.

The Doctor kept his face impassive when he felt Lucius lick his cheek.

"Ooo, he tastes so good. He's tastes a lot manlier than he looks."

"Think he squeals like a little girl when you enter him?" Seth asked.

"Dunno, but I'd love to find out," Lucius said, as the other two laughed.

He leaned in close to the Doctor's face.

"I know you're awake and listening, Doctor, so tell me. You ever been taken up the arse before?" Lucius asked him.

The Doctor opened his eyes and stared at him impassively.

"When Ian turned ya, did you get to have a bit of a shag with him?" he said to him.

"No."

"Ah, that's too bad. Sex with an immortal is an experience you won't soon forget. I hope I'll be your first then."

"I'd rather die."

Lucius gave him a hurt look, as Joshua and Seth snickered.

"Ah, Doctor, I'm crushed. I'm not that bad a lover," he said, as his friends laughed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Lucius glared at him. Then, without warning, he dropped him onto the floor. The Doctor grunted as his stomach smacked onto the stone floor. Before he could do anything, Lucius was down on the floor beside him. He grabbed his left arm and the back of his trench coat and pulled him up onto his knees.

"You know, no one said you had to be brought before the council room uninjured," he hissed at him. "I can take your blood, and no one will say anything as long as I don't kill you."

The Doctor glared at him.

"Then, what's stopping you?" he growled at him. "Personally, I'd rather be out cold than have to listen to your crude comments."

Lucius stared at him for a moment. Then, he seized the front of his neck and pulled him back against him. He brought his left hand up and stared hungrily at the vein in his wrist. The Doctor stared up at the ceiling, as Lucius's tongue followed the vein up to the palm of his hand. He brought his wrist up to his nose and inhaled deeply.

"Oh yeah, smell that aroma," Lucius said breathlessly. "Did you know your blood smelled this good, Doctor? I've never smelled anything like it before. Smells so salty, just like the ocean."

The Doctor gritted his teeth when he felt Lucius bite into the vein. Joshua and Seth quickly came up beside him, ready to grab the Doctor in case he fled. The Doctor glowered at them while Lucius fed on the Doctor's wrist.

"Oh yeah!" Lucius said, throwing back his head. "Oh mates, you gotta sample this. His blood is so sweet and yet so spicy. It's like tasting Heaven!"

The Doctor sat quietly while Joshua and Seth each took turns feeding on him. He stared up at the ceiling, quietly thanking Rassilon that Rose wasn't here to see this and suffer with him.

"Oh, simply gorgeous," Seth said, licking the Doctor's blood off his lips. "I never though alien blood could taste this good. Makes me want to tuck into his neck and drain him dry."

"Ah, ah, can't do that. He has to be alive, at least he has to be alive long enough to face the council," Lucius said.

He stared at the Doctor who was still staring impassively at the ceiling.

"You didn't even cry out, Doctor. Most people are terrified, but you just went through that without as much as a whimper. You are something special. I can see now why Ian wanted to keep you a secret."

He grinned.

"Is Rose just as brave as you?" he said to him. "Perhaps we'll still get to find out, eh?"

He raised his eyebrows when the Doctor glared at him.

"Oho, so you do have a button I can push, don't ya? You don't like hearing people talk about the nasty things they'll do to your girlfriend."

"Sadly, you won't ever get to do anything nasty to her," the Doctor replied.

Ian nuzzled his neck.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, pet. After all, if you were the one who sent her away, then you know where she is."

"I'll never tell you."

Lucius smiled.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he whispered in his ear.

He chuckled when he saw the rage in the Doctor's eyes.

"You have a lot of spirit. Good, most of the immortals like the spirited ones. They last longer, and they're more fun to play with."

He kissed him on the cheek.

"But enough chit-chat, the high council is waiting," he said.

He scooped the Doctor up in his arms. He glanced at the wound in the Doctor's wrist and smiled when he saw it was no longer bleeding. He looked back at the Doctor and noticed he was looking at the same thing.

"Vampire fangs have a special liquid coagulant that goes into the wound when someone is bitten. It stops the bleeding almost as soon as the vampire stops feeding. It's very handy when a vampire needs to keep someone alive, and it saves on bandages."

He leaned in close to his face.

"If you become an immortal again, your fangs will act the same way."

"I'd rather die than become like you."

Lucius snickered.

"So sure of everything, aren't you, Doctor? The problem is, the two times you were a vampire, you didn't get to really sample what it's like to be one. Ian should have taken you out and shown you the beauty of immortality instead of sticking you down in a basement."

"Yes, but you're forgetting Ian wasn't able to possess my mind and two minutes after he turned me, I was up and kicking his ass."

"Ah yes, the immortals know all about that. Unfortunately for you, there are ways to control even the strongest of wills. You may have escaped Ian's control, but you will never escape the combined might of the undead, Doctor. If the council lets you live, you will be turned, and trust me, you _will _become like us in every way."

Lucius grinned when he saw a flicker of fear pass through the Doctor's eyes for a moment.

"So, pet, you better hope you sent little Rosie far enough away from here because if the council does decide to turn you, you'll be the one going after her, I guarantee it."

He chuckled, as he carried the Doctor towards the meeting room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seth opened the door to the meeting room, and the Doctor turned his head to see a group of vampires sitting quietly around a large table. The three men bowed to the others.

"Here he is, brothers, the Doctor," Lucius announced.

"Sit him in the chair, and tie him to it," Bartomaus said, pointing to a vacant chair at the head of the table.

Lucius carried him over. Joshua pulled out the chair, and he dumped the Doctor into it. Seth righted him while Lucius grabbed some rope that was sitting in a corner of the room. He grabbed it, carried it over to the chair and tied it around the Doctor's waist. As they tied him to the chair, the Doctor looked over and noticed the seat to his right was also vacant. Bartomaus noticed him looking at it.

"That is for the other," he said to him. "The one called Rose. Where is she?"

"Rose is gone," the Doctor said. "I sent her somewhere in time and space where you can't get her."

Bartomaus smirked.

"Then, we will have to be patient and wait until she comes back before she can stand trial for her crime."

"What crime?" the Doctor demanded.

"Why, the same crime you are accused of, Doctor. First degree murder," Bartomaus said.

Lucius finished tying him to the chair, and he and his friends stepped back.

"That will be all, Lucius, you, and your friends may leave us now," Bartomaus said.

"Brother, I have one request before I go. If it is decided that the Doctor is to be turned, I want to be the one to do it."

"We will consider your request, Lucius, now leave us, we have matters to attend to here," Bartomaus said.

Lucius, Joshua, and Seth bowed, backed out of the room, and shut the door. Once the door was closed, the council turned their attention to the Doctor.

"So, Doctor, at last, you face judgment for your crimes," he said. "It is sad that your companion has escaped her fate for now, but, eventually she will be brought to justice as well."

"I doubt it. Rose is gone, and I'm not telling you where she's at," the Doctor replied.

Bartomaus smirked.

"You know, Doctor, we were planning to execute you for what you did to our brother, Ian, but since you have hidden the other one that we want, it seems we have no choice, but to turn you and make you one of us."

"Brother, is that wise?" said one of the other council members. "The Doctor is dangerous. We cannot let him live. He will destroy us."

"Calm down, Jeremiah, there are ways to ensure that even a great Time Lord like the Doctor will not be a threat to the immortal race."

"You sure about that?" the Doctor said to him. "I am extremely clever, you know."

"As are we, Doctor, as are we," Bartomaus said, while the other council members nodded in agreement. "You come from a race known for their arrogance. Your associate, Ruath, was proof of that. However, the Time Lords are not the only ones who are "extremely clever" as you so quaintly put it. You will find that we are more than a match for you."

"Do your worst, I'm not afraid of any of you," the Doctor replied. "I have faced far worse than a bunch of vampires and lived to tell the tale."

The council chuckled.

"You are very brave, Doctor, I'll give you that. But, your bravado is a waste of time. After the operation and the turning, you will become like us, and you will do what we say, including going after your companion."

"I will never betray Rose," the Doctor said. "You might be able to turn me into a bloodsucking beast, but deep down inside I will still know Rose, and I will never hand her over to you."

The council members laughed.

"Then, why don't put we begin the conversion and put your theory to the test?" he said.

He cleared his throat.

"I, Bartomaus, senior member of the high council of immortals sentence the criminal, the Doctor, to conversion and enslavement. All in favor, say aye."

"Aye," said everyone in unison.

Bartomaus smiled.

"I guess there is no need to count the nays then," he said, delighted. "Very well, the motion is passed. The Doctor will face immediate conversion."

He looked at him.

"And if I were you, my soon to be brother, I would pray that your theory about not betraying Rose is correct."

He stood and walked to the door. Opening it, he leaned out.

"Come, my brothers, the Doctor has been sentenced to conversion. I give the honor to you, brother Lucius, since you asked so nicely."

The Doctor stiffened his body. Ignoring the laughter of Lucius and his friends, as they untied him, he began to silently ready himself for the ordeal that lay ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

(June 19th, 2016)

A half hour after she ran back to her room, Rose tentatively came back into the console room. She paused and listened, but she couldn't hear anything. She looked at the ceiling.

"Has…has the Doctor gone?" she asked the TARDIS.

_Yes, he's gone now, s_he thought to her.

Rose walked over to the captain's chair and sank down into it. She put her head in her hands for a moment and looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh God, TARDIS, what are we going to do? We can't let the Doctor stay like this. We have to do something to help him. Isn't there a way to reverse what they've done?"

_I'm not sure, Rose. He may be too far gone now,_ the TARDIS said, anguished_. Plus, like I said, in order to fix him, we'll have to bring him in here, and I'm sure he's counting on us to do that. _

Rose thought for a moment and then looked up at the ceiling.

"Is it true? Could the Doctor get in here if he wanted to?"

The TARDIS was silent, and Rose could sense she was mulling this question over.

_There might be a way. If the Doctor can cancel my shields, he could find a way to blast his way in here. He would have to find a way to do it from the outside though and unfortunately, he is clever enough to build something to do it. _

"Would he, though?"

_I'm not sure, Rose. I hope not. I…_

There was a pause.

_He's back, and he's carrying something in his hands. _

"What?"

_I don't know, some kind of silver disc. I've never seen it before, it might be something he built. He...he's sticking it on the side of the TARDIS._

Rose's heart sank.

"Oh God, this can't be good," she murmured.

Suddenly, the roundel lights dimmed. They stayed that way briefly and then came back full power. They heard the Doctor let out a yell of triumph. Rose looked up at the TARDIS.

"What did he do?"

_He's found a way to override my systems and control me,_ the TARDIS said sadly.

There was a pause, and Rose could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest while she wondered what the Doctor was doing.

_No,_ the TARDIS suddenly said.

"What? What is it?"

_He's cut off the oxygen supply._

Rose's heart stopped.

"Can you stop him?"

_No, whatever he's done has completely overridden my programming. I can't fight it. _

There was another pause.

_Rose, you must go to the secondary console room. He might open the door at any minute._

Rose frowned.

"Secondary console room? There's another room like this in here?"

_Not exactly like this, but yes, there is another console room that can be used in case of an emergency. I will lead you to it, but you must hurry before he figures out a way to break in here and…_

She trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked.

_Turn around, Rose._

Rose turned and looked towards the back door. Except the back door wasn't there anymore. Rose spun around.

"Where's the door?"

_He's made it vanish. You are stuck here with no oxygen. The only way out is through the front door now._

Rose put her head in her hands. She had a thought and looked up at the TARDIS.

"I can talk to him, yeah? You have a way for him to hear me?"

_Yes, I have a speaker that he'll hear from the outside._

"Turn it on; I want to talk to him."

_I will, but I don't know how much good it will do. He's too far gone, and I doubt he'll listen to reason now. _

"Just the same, I want to speak to him."

_Very well._

There was another pause.

_I've turned it on, go ahead, and speak,_ she said.

Rose nodded.

Turn on the monitor too? I want to see him while I speak to him.

The monitor flickered to life. Rose walked over and looked at it. She couldn't see the Doctor, but the view she had was looking out from the front door, so she figured he was somewhere on the side of the TARDIS or in back. She took a deep breath.

"Doctor, it's Rose, I want to talk to you."

She watched the monitor. At first, she couldn't see anything and then she saw the Doctor saunter into view, a smug smile on his face.

"Ah, my love, there you are," he said. "I hoped you were in the console room. I suppose the TARDIS has told you what has happened by now?"

"You cut off the oxygen supply in here."

"Indeed I did, and I walled you into the console room, so you wouldn't be able to wander through my vast ship and take advantage of the oxygen still in there. I want you in one place, so the oxygen will run out quickly."

"Doctor, why are you doing this?"

The Doctor feigned confusion.

"Why? I thought I made it clear earlier why I was doing this. I want you out here and at my feet, didn't you hear that, or do you have space dust in your ears from all the time traveling you did?"

Rose sighed when she saw him snicker at that.

"Doctor, please, you don't have to do this. You're better than this. You have to fight what they've done to you," Rose said to him. "You stayed free of Ian's control before, you can do it again."

"Oh Rose," the Doctor blubbered. "You're so right; I was a fool not to think of breaking free before now. Oh, Rose, save me from this dark fate, you are my only hope now."

Rose sighed angrily when the Doctor roared with laughter.

"Break free? From what? From being able to do anything I want, from having all the power I could possibly want? The reason, Rose, that I fought Ian's control was because I was ignorant of how much a gift it is to be undead. It is very liberating, Rose. You have no idea. What I did on that day I "rescued" you from Ian, the speed, the enhanced strength, the flight, it is just a small taste of what the immortals are truly capable of. There is far more to being a vampire than sucking blood. The problem was, I was too busy being afraid of embracing immortality to find that out, and now that I have, I have no desire to return to the way I was. I love being this way, Rose, which is why I want you to know what I know. I want us to be together and experience life in a way we have never experienced it before. I hate to do this to you, cutting off your oxygen and all. But, you know me, I've never been a patient person, and I want you out here now. So, you have two choices, my darling, come out here and be with me, or stay in there and suffocate to death. It's your choice, but I hope you'll choose me over death. I told you before that I won't hurt you, Rose, and I mean that. I won't lie to you about how I got to be this way. The reason they turned me in the first place was because they wanted me to come get you when you landed, so you could be tried for the murder of Ian. But, those who ordered my conversion are dead now. I killed them when I took control. I wasn't kidding when I said that I am the most powerful vampire in the world. I am the head of all vampires, know and unknown. That's another fascinating thing, Rose, vampires have hierarchies, and ranks, and rules, and protocols, and rituals and lots of other things you'd never think of them having. Course, I dissolved the high council when I killed them, and now it's just me, which is why I can ensure that you will not be harmed. I rule with absolute authority, and no one dares challenge me. I'm sure the high council regretted their decision to convert me, especially since they ended up tied to the ground, watching while the sun came up, but hey, they were fools to try to control me. Anyway, I'll be waiting here for you to come out, and I sincerely suggest you do, because if I have to break inside the TARDIS to get at you, you'll be sorry. So, think it over, and do it fast because the oxygen depletion will get to your brain soon and then you won't be capable of coherent thought."

Rose watched, as the Doctor walked over to a nearby tree, rose up to a huge limb, turned around, and sat down on it. He leaned against the trunk and watched the TARDIS intently.

Rose groaned.

"So, he's not gonna leave then," she said to the TARDIS.

"No, Rose, I'm not gonna leave until you come out here."

Rose winced when she realized the speaker was still on.

"If I do come out there, exactly what will you do with me? Are you gonna bite me?" she said, to the Doctor.

"Not right away, first I want to show you what being a vampire entails. The beauty of the world that I inhabit now."

"Then, I become a concubine?"

"No, you will become my consort, if you obey me and agree to be my mate. Otherwise, yes, you will become a concubine and be thrown in with the rest of my slaves to be fed on and played with, whenever I desire it."

Rose felt the bile rise in her throat.

"Doctor, how could you do that to those poor women?" she said.

"Oh, they're not all women, Rose, there are a few men in there as well. That's the other thing about vampires, they judge people on how beautiful they are rather than race, color, creed, etc. Vampires are very open-minded people."

"But, they're your slaves!"

"Oh, be fair, Rose. Most of them wouldn't have had much of a life anyway. To be my concubine rather than a lesser vampire's concubine is a great honor."

He paused.

"And do you know who is among my harem, Rose. Jack."

Rose blinked.

"Jack, as in our Jack?"

"Yes, our Jack. Actually, it's him and his boyfriend, Ianto. See, not only was he alive, but thanks to you and the Bad Wolf, he's an immortal just like I am. He's not a vampire immortal, which is a shame, but he can't die. You apparently brought him back forever when you brought him back on the Gamestation. Anyway, he has this little outfit called Torchwood, or rather _had_ this little outfit. They tried to stop me awhile back, and I quickly defeated them and took Jack and Ianto hostage. Both of them are now enslaved to me, which is what happens to people who try to defy and kill me. That's another thing that will happen if you give yourself up, I will take you to see Jack. He has asked about you, and I'm sure he would love to see you again. All this and more, Rose, if you will just open the door and come to me. But, like I said, do it quick, because the air will run out quickly in the console room. And if I were you, TARDIS, I would convince her to do it, I'm sure you don't want to watch, as she slowly suffocates to death."

Rose looked up at the ceiling, silently questioning.

_I'm trying to override it, Rose, but It's no use. Whatever he's done, I can't fight it. He knows me, Rose, so he would know how to make a device that I couldn't override. I'm afraid you have no choice, Rose. The only way for you to live is to go out the door and surrender to him. _

Rose felt her anguish at that.

_My only hope is he will still protect you, Rose. Perhaps, deep down inside, he will still have enough of himself left that he won't want to convert you. I don't know what else to do, my Rose, I'm afraid we are both at his mercy. _

"As soon as I'm out the door, I will close it behind me and you lock it. I don't want him to get inside you and use you to conquer time and space," Rose said.

_I will, Rose, but I won't give up hope that there is a solution to all this._

"I won't give up hope either. I love you, TARDIS."

_I love you too, my Rose, now and forever_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked up when he noticed the door opening, and Rose stepping outside. As he floated down from the trees, she quickly shut the door, and she heard the deadlock seal activate behind her.

She fell to her knees, as the Doctor walked over to her.

"I surrender to you," she said. "Do what you want with me."

The Doctor put his hand on her head.

"Do you acknowledge me as your lord and master?"

Rose swallowed hard.

"I…do," she said. "I ask for mercy."

The Doctor ran the back of his hand down her cheek.

"And I will willingly give you mercy since you have surrendered to me without a fight," he said. "Now rise, my love, and come with me, I will show you the beauty of my world."

Rose stood up and put her arms around the Doctor's neck. She shuddered at the feel of his ice-cold skin on her flesh and fought back the tears, as she laid her head on his shoulder. She felt the Doctor embrace her and hold her tight.

"I sense your fear, Rose, but soon you will no longer fear me, or the life I'm offering you," he said, gently. "Once you have seen what it is to be immortal, you will embrace it without hesitation."

Rose squeezed her eyes shut when she felt him kissing her cheek with his cold lips. Then, she felt her feet leave the ground, and she rose with him into the night sky.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

(June 19th, 2016)

Rose clung tightly to the Doctor, as they flew together through the night sky. The pace he was taking was a leisurely one, unlike the last time they had flown together when Ian had been pursuing them. As they soared through the air, Rose's fear was replaced by curiosity, and she looked over the Doctor's shoulder at the ground far below them. For the most part, London was deserted, save for a few people skulking around in alleyways and throwing parties on rooftops. Rose guessed these were other vampires, and it made her glad the Doctor was with her. She didn't trust him completely, but so far he hadn't tried to bite her or hurt her, and she took some comfort in that. As she watched the scenery, she unconsciously stroked the back of the Doctor's neck.

"Do I take that little gesture to mean that you no longer fear me, my beloved?"

Rose was startled when she heard the Doctor's voice in her ear, and she realized what she had been doing. She looked over and saw the Doctor staring at her with amusement.

"You were stroking the back of my neck like you always did when we held one another," he said, when he noticed her silence. "Are you growing used to me again?"

"I just…I didn't even realize I was doing it," she admitted.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Is that a good or bad thing?" he said.

"I don't know," Rose murmured, looking back down at the ground. "I don't know what to think about any of this."

"Well, you must admit that I'm not as dangerous as you thought, since I haven't attacked you yet. That must count for something, right?"

"Yes."

Rose watched, as the Doctor began to descend onto a nearby roof.

"Let's talk here for a bit, Rose," he said to her. "I think if I explain things a bit more, you'll lose your fear of me."

He touched down lightly on the roof and let go of her. He took Rose's hand and led her to the stone ledge. They sat down, and the Doctor stared up at the moon for a moment, before he turned his attention back to Rose.

"Rose, despite what you might think about me. I'm not an animal, and I'm not a mindless, bloodsucking beast. This isn't Dracula where I just flap around in bat form draining the life out of any young virgin that happens by. I do have self control. I know who I am, and I know who you are, and what you mean to me. I'm not going to pounce on you and drain you dry."

He ran his hand down her cheek.

"I love you, Rose," he said. "That is not some bullshit line I'm giving you, so you'll be lulled into a false sense of security. I…do…love…you."

"Then, why did you try to suffocate me?"

The Doctor sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Because, Rose, you wouldn't listen to me. You were listening to the TARDIS, and I admit the TARDIS is many things, but a vampire expert she is not. I had to get you away from her, so you could see the truth."

"Ok, I get that, but, calling me a bitch and threatening to enslave me, what was that, then?"

"That was anger and frustration, and it was uncalled for, and I'm sorry I said what I said. It'd only been a few minutes since you last saw me, but for me, it was ten, long years. Do you realize how long I have been waiting to catch up with this day, how long I've been counting the hours till I could see you again? Then, finally, the day comes and I can't get to you. I lost my temper and said some things I shouldn't have, and I apologize. That was immature of me to do that, but that's how much I missed you and wanted you near me. The concubines I have are alright, but they are not you. Nothing can ever replace you, my love. You are one of a kind."

The Doctor took her hand and kissed the back of it gently. Lowering the hand, he stared intently into her eyes.

"Do you still fear me?" he asked.

Rose shook her head.

"Good, because you are safe with me," he said, stroking her head. "I will never hurt you, Rose."

He looked down at the ground.

"It's a good thing I did come to get you, because there are vampires out there who would kill you if they saw you," he said. "I am the only protection you have out here."

He laid his hand on her cheek.

"Now that you are with me, no one will dare hurt you. They know you are mine, and they will not attack. Not unless they want to die, at any rate."

Rose stared at him, as he smiled lovingly at her. She stared at the jet-black hair and the piercings and shook her head.

"What? What is it?" the Doctor said confused.

"The way you look now. It's…not you," she said.

"Why is it not me?" the Doctor said.

"When you were normal, you would have never dyed your hair like this or pierced your body."

The Doctor sighed.

"First off, Rose, normal is in the eye of the beholder. Because I'm sure you'll agree, there is no one in the universe who you can look at and say right off the bat, yes, that's the perfect example of a completely normal person. Secondly, yes, you're right, I wouldn't have done this to myself when I was mortal, but that's just it, Rose, I'm not mortal, anymore."

"You're still the Doctor, though."

He sighed.

"Yes, in some ways I am, but in some ways I'm not."

He stared up at the moon, lost in thought for a moment, then he looked at her.

"Okay, I've got it. Remember when I regenerated? I became a completely different person on the outside with a completely different personality, but deep down inside I was still the Doctor. That's what this is. I'm still the Doctor, but I've regenerated into a vampire and just like I stopped wearing the jumpers and leather jacket when I was reborn as my tenth self, so I took to dying my hair and wearing piercings when I was reborn as an immortal. I prefer this look to the look I had when I was mortal, but it's still me. Do you understand?"

Rose nodded.

"It's just weird looking."

The Doctor grinned.

"Well, you got used to my tenth body eventually, didn't you?"

Rose nodded.

The Doctor laid his hand against her cheek.

"Well, I'm sure in time you'll get used to this."

He thought for a moment.

"Actually, there's more where that came from…" he said, as he took off his leather jacket.

Rose watched, as he took off his jacket, shirt, and tie. He turned his back to her, and Rose's eyes widened when she saw a huge tattoo on his back. It was a big, brown bat with its wings folded up. It looked like it was hanging off the Doctor's back, and its head was turned around, looking right at Rose. She shivered when she saw its open mouth and fangs dripping with blood. Beneath it was a series of dots and dashes. The Doctor looked back at her.

"This is something my mates, and I got one night for a giggle. Underneath the bat is the vampire's written language. It says 'the blood is the life.' We got the idea after getting piss drunk on blood spiked with Jack Daniels and sitting around laughing at the Dracula movie. The phrase is from the movie, if you hadn't guessed."

"And…" he said turning back and showing her his right forearm. "I also have this."

Rose stared at the tiny tattoo just below his wrist. It was a black, open circle with a red rose in the center of it. A single blood drop dripped from it.

"This is the Order of the Blood Rose. A very ancient and secret society that has been around since vampires roamed Ancient Egypt. Its membership is extremely exclusive. You have to be sponsored by someone in order to join, which I was. It's…kinda like the Masons, I guess. Many levels with lots of different rites and ceremonies and codes and the like and the higher you go, the more secrets you learn. It's an honor to be sworn into it, and those who do get in are sworn to secrecy, so unfortunately I can't tell you anything about it, but this is just one more example of vampires being more than mindless monsters. All that rubbish you see in Dracula and crap like it, most of that isn't true, Rose. The vampires have their own culture, their own civilization, and they have produced great works of art, great literature, and great music that rivals anything humans have done. They have their own language, their own myths and legends, their own history. Humans for the most part have gotten it all wrong."

"But, if vampire culture is so great, how come you have this so-called harem, how come you and others like you kill innocent humans. Why did you plunge the world into eternal night? That doesn't sound great to me!" Rose shot back.

The Doctor sighed and looked out at the moon for a moment before he looked back at Rose.

"Rose, do you eat hamburgers?" he asked her.

"Yeah."

"Where do hamburgers come from?"

"Cows."

"And what do you do to the cows to get the hamburger?"

"Um…kill them."

"Mmhmm, cows are considered food for humans, are they not?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but…"

"Well, humans are considered food for vampires. But, the big difference is we don't gorge ourselves on human blood. We take what we need to survive. If you stay with me, Rose, you'll find that there are no obese vampires around, compared to the human population. Vampires aren't greedy. Yes, we have to kill to feed, but as I said, it's no different from humans killing cows, or sheep, or goats or anything else they eat. If you notice, I still haven't pounced on you. It's because I fed earlier, and I'm not hungry right now. Now, I'm sorry if the idea of me feeding on humans disturbs you, but that's the way life is for me now. When you become a vampire, you will do the same because if you don't, you'll die a slow, painful death. Sadly, blood is a necessity for us just as water and food and air are necessities for mortals."

"But, it's wrong, Doctor!" Rose said. "You're killing people and taking their blood!"

"People kill people anyway, Rose! Humans are incapable of mindless savagery that's unthinkable in the animal kingdom. Humans are the only species that kills for the hell of it. Why aren't you getting angry about that, Rose? I told you, I take only what I need to survive, nothing more. Now I do try to be selective in whom I take. I don't take children or the elderly. Most of the time I take men and the men I do take are criminals, drug dealers, the dregs of society. Now I admit I sometimes take an innocent woman, or a man, but only when I have no choice. I have to exist too, and I have as much right to do so as any human does. I'm sorry if that disturbs you, but that's how it is. Now, the harem is part of our culture, Rose. Yes, I admit that I hold those men and women against their will, but I treat them extremely well. I care for them, which is more than I can say for some vampires. Some vampires are cruel to the people in their harems to the point of sadism. I'm not. I don't take more concubines than I can handle, and I treat them all equally. They all get the same food, water and medical care. I don't favor any one concubine over the other. They are never whipped or beaten or tortured, which as I said, isn't true for all harems. There are some vampires I've seen who will kill a concubine for looking at them the wrong way. Now, I'm sure you're gonna say that's proof of our savagery, but sadly, there are bad apples in the immortal world just as there are in the mortal one. I have tried to talk to some of them about treating their humans with respect, but most of the time you get yelled at and occasionally you get punched in the face, so it does no good. All I can do is treat my concubines with respect and hope that others will follow my example. Now, the eternal night thing was because I, and others like me, grew tired of skulking in basements and shut up in rooms during the daytime while humans roamed free. It annoyed us that what we view as our food can go wherever they like while we have to stay cooped up during the day, so I remedied that and turned the situation in our favor. An old classmate of mine named Ruath came up with the idea of the time loop first, and I just took that idea and ran with it. She also came up with the idea of using a vampire DNA mist to turn humans into vampires, but I draw the line at that. Vampires, believe it or not, do not go around turning anyone and everyone into vampires. We are very selective in who we convert because too many vampires means competition for food and living space. Those people in my harem are still mortal, save for Jack, and they will all remain that way. I have no desire to change any of them into vampires."

"But, you have no problem with changing me," Rose said.

"Because I think you are worthy of it, Rose. I told you, only the most beautiful are chosen to become vampires, and you, my love, more than fit that requirement."

The Doctor stared at her in silence, putting his clothes back on, while he let all he had said sink in.

"I…I can't believe I'm hearing this from you," Rose said softly. "Everything you've said, it's not you. You wouldn't think like this, if they hadn't done something to you."

"No one did anything to me, Rose, except for converting me into a vampire," the Doctor replied.

"No, you didn't act this way after Ian bit you. They did something to your mind, Doctor, you're not thinking straight."

The Doctor sighed.

"Rose, I give you my word, that no one did anything to me except give me blood that changed me into an immortal. I am in complete control of my mind, I know what I'm saying, and I'm know what I'm doing. The reason I think differently is because I've seen what a vampire's life is really like, and I came to view the vampire lifestyle as desirable to me."

He stood up.

"Just…come with me, Rose. I'll show you more of my life, okay? It's not what you think, I promise you. The reason you think this way is because you are approaching it from a human perspective and you need to see things from both sides. Just please keep an open mind for me, will you?"

Rose stared at him for a moment and then nodded. The Doctor took her hand.

"I'm not a monster, Rose. Please keep that in mind," he said softly.

"I'm trying to, Doctor," Rose replied.

The Doctor embraced her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"That's all I ask. All I want is for you to listen and keep an open mind and then decide if I'm right or not," he whispered to her.

He held onto her tight, and they lifted off again into the night sky.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

(November 29th, 2006 8:50 P.M….)

The Doctor stood quietly while Lucius swung open the door in front of him.

"This way, love," he purred.

The Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes, as he walked inside. The room was cement and windowless. A light hung from the ceiling just above a leather, barber chair. The chair had several leather straps on it. Beside the chair, there was a tray filled with different surgical instruments and something hidden beneath a silk, purple handkerchief. The Doctor looked back at Lucius.

"Let me guess, this is where I get tortured," he said.

"No, this is where you get converted, pet. You don't get tortured unless you cause us trouble."

He ran his finger down his cheek.

"And somehow I don't think that's gonna happen since you seem pretty willing to do this," he said.

Lucius paused for a moment and had a thought. He leaned into his ear.

"If you think it's gonna be like the last time, and you're gonna be able to gain our abilities without falling under our control, then I would guess again," he said to him. "This time we will insure that you won't be able to resist the change."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just stop flapping your gob and get it over with," the Doctor said, angrily.

"Cuts to the chase, this one," Lucius said to Seth and Joshua. "Very well, have a seat, and we'll begin.

The Doctor settled down in the seat hoping that what he was about to do would insure Rose's safety. He hated to think what would happen if he really did become a vampire and went after her when she landed. He began to wonder if ten years had been long enough. Maybe it should have been longer, and it should have been somewhere else other than Earth, but he had been afraid Rose might not be able to cope on an alien planet by herself. He prayed that whatever these monsters were about to do, it wouldn't endanger the woman he loved.

He sat calmly, ignoring the snickers, as Lucius strapped him in. He sighed when he felt him licking his hands while he strapped in his wrists. He hoped this guy wasn't gonna end up being his boyfriend after he was turned, but judging from the way he was eyeing him, he guessed that's exactly what he had in mind.

They finished strapping him in, and Lucius straddled him while he undid his slowly undid his tie.

"Oh, I love a dapper man," he purred. "You do know how to dress, ducky."

The Doctor stared at him quietly, as he ran the tie back and forth slowly across the back of his neck. He looked up at Seth and Joshua, who were snickering at him, and he winked. He finished playing with the tie and threw it in the corner. Then he began to unbutton his shirt.

"You are gonna love being a vampire," Lucius said to him. "You oughta thank your lucky stars that they let you live."

"Isn't that an odd turn of phrase considering I won't be alive soon," the Doctor said to him.

Lucius's eyes widened in delight.

"Ooo, witty too, I love a witty man. It's very sexy," he said.

He finished unbuttoning his shirt and opened it.

"Blimey, you are white as a sheet already. Being undead won't change you that much physically, that's for sure," he said.

The Doctor looked at the ceiling when he started licking his chest. He was caught by surprise when Seth grabbed his head, leaned over, and forced his lips onto his. The Doctor tried to struggle out of his grip, but he was too strong. Meanwhile, Joshua walked over to his arm, knelt down, and began to run his tongue up and down his forearm. The Doctor tried to ignore their administrations, keeping his mind focused on Rose while he waited for his ordeal to end. Finally, Seth and Joshua let up and walked to the back of the room. Lucius continued to lick his chest, and he slowly worked his way up to his neck. The Doctor, sensing what was about to happen, tensed up his muscles.

"Don't tense up, it hurts more," Lucius breathed in his ear. "Just relax and go with the flow. Trust me, I'm a professional."

The Doctor tried to focus on a spot on the ceiling, as Lucius licked and nipped at the jugular vein in his neck. Thanks to the two other times he went through this, he knew what it was like, and he could prepare himself. The hard part was waiting for the horny vampire to stop giving him a hickey and get on with it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he felt the sharp sting that came when Lucius bit his neck and then the spot went numb while he began to feed on him. The Doctor concentrated on the spot on the ceiling ignoring Lucius, and the other vampires who were snickering and giving him lude looks. Instead, he turned his thoughts to Rose. He brought up an image of her in front of his face and concentrated on it. It worked to the extent where he could tune out everything around him. All he could see was her, and all he could hear was her sweet voice, as he imagined her speaking words of love and devotion to him. Slowly, as he kept his eyes on his love, his vision began to dim, and he felt his heartbeats began to slow down. Rose was becoming less and less distinct, her beautiful face was blurring into something that resembled her face after the Wire had gotten through with her. Then, very slowly, his world grew darker and darker, and his breathing became shallower, as the outside world faded away. His vision had nearly faded to black when he saw Lucius lean back up.

"Hurry," he heard him say. "Ready the syringe."

At least that's what he thought he said, he couldn't be sure since it sounded like he was speaking from the bottom of a well. As he lay there, he thought he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, but he couldn't be sure if he was imagining that either. He was barely holding on to life, and Lucius was little more than a dim blur in front of his eyes. He watched, as he raised his blurry arm to his blurry face and then, a moment later, he was back on top of him. The Doctor felt something warm, wet, and salty going in his mouth and then a moment later, he lost consciousness.

(November 29th, 2006 11:37 P.M….)

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying in bed in a dimly lit, grey, windowless room. He pulled back the covers and noticed his clothes were off, save for a pair of black, silk boxers. He blinked his eyes trying to adjust his vision. Where was he? He tried to stand up and gasped when he reeled back and sat back on the bed. He put his hand to his head, and then he took his hand away and looked at it. His skin was snow white. He put his fingers to his wrist trying to find a pulse, and he began to panic when he could find none. He jumped up again, and this time he was able to keep his balance. He ran to the door and pounded on it.

"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!" he screamed.

He continued to pound on the door, screaming at the top of his lungs. Finally, he heard the door open, and he leapt back as Lucius entered the room.

"Damn you, you've made me into a vampire!" he said.

"Yup, and a damn fine one too, I have to say," Lucius said, staring at him appreciatively.

The Doctor hesitated a moment, and then a smug smile formed on his face.

"I know who I am, and I know what you did. Your so-called control didn't work on me," he said to him. "And now I will defeat you like I defeated Ian."

He frowned when Lucius snickered at that.

"What? What's so funny?"

"We haven't activated it yet, ducky, that's why you don't feel any different. We wanted to wait until you were awake, so it wouldn't interfere with the conversion."

"What do you mean? What haven't you activated?"

Lucius said nothing. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a little black box. The Doctor stared at it and looked at him.

"What is that?"

"This, love, is going to change your mind about being a vampire once and for all."

"What do you mean…"

Lucius clicked a button on the control, and the Doctor's mouth opened in a silent gasp, as he lost consciousness and fell to the floor.

(November 30th, 2006 2:05 A.M….)

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked over at Lucius lying beside him in his bed. He stared at him for a moment, and then he smiled, as he leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Lucius opened his eyes and smiled at him.

"There you are, I thought you were gonna sleep until the next sunset," he said to him.

The Doctor chuckled.

"Nah, there's too much to see and do on a nice night like this. Besides, I'm famished."

Lucius leaned up and smiled at him.

"You feel like going out for a little something?" he asked. "Or, we can just eat here."

"Nah, I want to go out. This place is too stuffy. I wanna get out and live a little."

Lucius nodded.

"You read my mind, love," he said.

He leaned over and gave him a kiss. The Doctor kissed him back without hesitation.

"Your clothes are over there on the chair," Lucius said, scooting to the end of the bed. "I'll round up some of the mates, and we can go out cruising, sound good?"

"Very good," the Doctor replied.

As Lucius opened the door and walked into the other room, he walked over to the chair and looked at his brown suit, brown tie, blue shirt and tan trench coat. He made a face at his clothes.

"Hey, Lucius,"

Lucius leaned back in.

"Yeah?"

"Um, while we're out, I want to get some new clothes. These clothes aren't me. I need a new look."

Lucius beamed.

"Course, love, anything you want. Just get dressed in that, and we can switch it out when we find something else."

He winked.

"Unless, you wanna go out in your boxers, cause if you do, that'll be fine with me."

The Doctor snorted.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd enjoy that," he said. "No, I'll get dressed, thank you."

"Whatever you want, love, I'll be waiting out here."

He leaned back out. He hurried over to the door across the way, opened it up and closed it behind him. He found Seth and Joshua waiting in the room next door.

"Well, what happened? Did the chip take?"

"Oh yeah, it took, he's completely changed."

Seth and Joshua looked at each other and grinned.

"Do you hear that, mates? The greatest Time Lord ever is on our side now! With him helping us, nothing will stop the immortal race!"

He looked back at his room.

"Come on, mates, the Doctor wants to cruise around and get something to eat and a proper change of clothes, let's go have a bit of fun and celebrate our victory over the Time Lord."

Seth and Joshua grinned at each other and then with a chuckle, they stood up and walked with Lucius into his bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

(June 19th, 2016)

The Doctor landed lightly on the roof of a building in downtown London. He let go of Rose and smiled at her.

"Recognize this building?" he asked her.

Rose walked to the edge and looked out. It was hard to tell where she was with only the light of the moon to go by, and she shook her head, as she looked back at the Doctor.

"This is Canary Wharf," the Doctor replied.

Rose frowned.

"Oh, okay, so why have your brought me here?"

"This is where I have my office."

Rose stared at him.

"You have an office?"

"Yes, I have to have somewhere to conduct my business, now that I'm the head of the vampire race," the Doctor replied. "This Canary Wharf was actually a branch of Torchwood before we infiltrated it and stopped them."

Rose shook her head.

"Torchwood. Isn't that…"

"The name of the house we stayed at with Queen Victoria? Yes, it is named after that. Apparently, she made good on her threat to keep me out of Britain. Torchwood was formed by her to keep an eye on aliens in general and me in particular."

"And Jack was a part of it?"

"Seems so," the Doctor said nodding. "Although his outfit was much smaller than the one they had here. He only had five people, counting himself. We captured him and Ianto when they tried to attack us, but the other three got away and are on the loose somewhere. We haven't found them yet, but we're still looking."

He held out his hand.

"Anyway, come with me, and I'll show you my office," he said.

Rose took his hand, and she walked with him over to a door. He unlocked it, opened it, and ushered her onto the stairs. He went inside with her, locked the door, and they walked down the stairs.

They went down for several floors before the Doctor finally stopped her. He opened a door, and she walked into a dimly lit corridor. The Doctor came up beside her, took her hand, and led her down the hallway. They walked halfway down the corridor before the Doctor stopped her beside a closed door. He opened it and turned on the light.

"My office," he said proudly.

Rose stepped inside. The room was large and painted an off-white color. There was a huge plate glass window at the back of the room, and in front of it was a huge wooden desk with a leather chair. Another chair was in front of the desk. To the left of it was three filing cabinets and to the right was a leather couch. On the walls hung some framed artwork that Rose couldn't identify. She walked over to the desk and looked at it. A blotter had paperwork lying on top of it. Rose noticed that the paperwork was written in the dot and dash vampire language. A silver pen was lying beside it, and there were little knickknacks scattered around the desk, mostly having to do with vampires. Rose swallowed hard when she noticed a little picture in a silver frame resting in one corner of the desk. It was a picture of her, and the Doctor resting on a blanket in the middle of a field on Yulzulan Nine. She remembered the day clearly. It had been about six months before he had sent her into the future, and the two of them had been exploring the planet and decided to stop for a picnic lunch. As they were resting there amidst the tall, purple grass, the Doctor decided they needed to have their picture taken to remember the occasion. He had run back into the TARDIS, got his camera and tripod, and sat it up. He set it on a timer, quickly ran back to her, and both of them smiled for the camera, as it took their picture. She let out a wistful sigh, remembering how wonderful that day had been. She was so lost in her memories that she didn't realize the Doctor had come up behind her until he put his cold hand against the side of her neck. She gasped and turned her head to look at him.

"I love that photo," he said, smiling at her. "It's one of my favorites. Course I don't like the way I look in it now, but you…you were a vision lying there with your hair blowing in the breeze like that…and you still are a vision."

Rose stiffened when he moved his hand and kissed her jugular vein. The feel of his lips made her uneasy. She was used to his warm, soft lips caressing her skin, and the dry, cold, cadaverous lips made her flinch. As he continued to kiss her neck, Rose mentally prepared herself for the pain when he bit into her neck, but to her surprise, he moved up to her ear and began to suck gently on the lobe.

"I thought about that day often, my love," he whispered in her ear, as he kissed the side of it. "It was such a beautiful day. No trouble, no danger, no monsters, just you and me sitting there under the triple suns enjoying a well deserved rest. Moments like that were so few and far between that I cherished each and every one that came along. But, each time we did that, I couldn't help but think that one day it would all end. One day you would age, and sicken, and die, and I would be left alone."

He moved around to her front and put his hands on the sides of her head.

"But, now we no longer need fear that, my Rose. Now, we can have all the happy moments we could ever want. You will never age, never weaken, or sicken, you will be young, strong, and beautiful forever, and you and I will be together throughout the centuries. We have outrun so many enemies together, but the greatest enemy of all, death, was always lurking in the shadows waiting to separate us. Now, not even death can threaten us. We have beaten our greatest adversary, and there is nothing to fear ever again."

He took Rose into his arms and put his hand on the back of her head when he noticed her trembling.

"Shhh, it's alright, I'll be gentle, I promise. Just trust your Doctor, I won't let you suffer."

He stroked her hair when he heard Rose whimpering.

"I'll be with you every step of the way, my darling," he said in a hushed voice. "Don't be afraid. You are safe with me, I promise. The change won't take long, and then we'll be together forever."

He brushed her hair away from her neck and traced his finger down her jugular vein.

"Kneel with me, Rose," he said softly.

He fell to his knees, and Rose fell with him. He held her protectively while he gently kissed her neck.

"I will teach you, Rose. I will show you what to do, just as I was shown. I will show you the beauty of being immortal. Just relax; it won't hurt if you relax."

He stroked her hair and stared at her lovingly, while he whispered soothing words to her. Finally, he felt Rose relax her body, and he nuzzled her cheek.

"Close your eyes now," he whispered.

Rose obeyed, and the Doctor kissed away a stray tear. He stared at her for a moment, searching her face for any sign of fear or nervousness. He wanted her to be completely at ease, for her benefit and for his. When he had first started out, he had made the mistake of taking people's blood while they were still terrified and the adrenaline that had poured into the bloodstream had left a bad taste in his mouth. After the first couple of times, he had learned to take his time and calm the person, so their passage into the afterlife would be easier, and he would be able to enjoy the taste of the blood. Rose meant more to him than anything in the entire universe, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be terrified. He wanted her transformation to be easy and painless, so she would embrace the immortal life more readily, and so he made every effort to make sure she was calm before he started. He stroked her hair while he kept a watch on her face. Every once in awhile, he could detect a hint of fear, but to his relief, it would quickly subside, and she would be at peace again. Finally, after several minutes, he was satisfied that she was completely calm, and he gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek and whispered his love for her in her ear. Then, he lowered his head to her neck and began to kiss gently along her jugular vein, soothing her further and readying himself for penetration. As he kissed, he stroked the back of her neck, and he smiled when he felt her relax even more. Every move, every gesture was designed to keep her conversion from turning into a frightening experience. It was a beautiful ritual, and he wanted her to come away from it, happy and at peace.

By now, her breathing had deepened, and he could sense she was at ease and trusted him completely. He smiled at that and opened his mouth slightly, letting his canines elongate. Once that was finished, he positioned them against her jugular vein and paused, once again sensing her reaction. He could detect no fear, and he took a deep breath, as he started to bite into her flesh.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his office door, and the moment was shattered. Rose gasped and opened her eyes, and the Doctor cursed loudly, as he held her protectively.

"Who's there!" he yelled out, wanting nothing more than to throttle the intruder.

His eyes shot up when he noticed a vampire walking timidly towards the desk. He recognized him. His name was Thomas; he was a newer vampire, having only been undead for about five years. He, and the other vampires had been looking out for him and trying to teach him the ins and outs of the vampire life, but he still had a lot to learn, like not interrupting his betters when they were in the middle of something. He glared at Thomas, who stood in front of his desk, staring at him dumbly. The Doctor glanced at Rose, who had turned her head to see who it was, and he tightened his hold on her slightly in case Thomas got ideas about feeding on her.

"Well, what do you want?" the Doctor spat out, when Thomas said nothing. "I'm in the middle of something here."

"I'm sorry, sir, but the other vampires have been searching for you. They sent me here because they thought you might have been working late."

"Yes, good, hurray, you found me. Now what do you want?" the Doctor said, impatiently.

"Um…a couple of your concubines have escaped," Timothy said, shifting nervously.

The Doctor stared at him in disbelief.

"What? What do you mean a couple of my concubines have escaped? Where were the guards who were supposed to be looking after them?"

"Well, the guards were knocked out," Thomas replied.

"All of them?"

"Yes, sir," Thomas said, nervously.

The Doctor glanced at Rose who was staring at him quietly. He looked back at Timothy.

"Who escaped?"

"Um…the immortal one, and the guy who was captured with him," Thomas replied.

Rose noticed that the Doctor's skin managed to turn even paler than it already was.

"Damn it! I told you lot to keep a close eye on them. If they find the other members of Torchwood, then that means they are going to be back and gunning for us, and do you know what that means?"

"Um…no, what does it mean?"

The Doctor's mouth fell open.

"It means we die, idiot!" he said, startling Rose. "Now get out there and find them before they do something!"

"But, sir, they asked me to come get you," Thomas said, hesitantly.

The Doctor sighed angrily.

"I'll be along presently. Now, get moving, before we all end up with stakes in our hearts!"

"Y…yes, sir," Thomas stuttered.

The Doctor sighed and shook his head, as Thomas turned and ran out of the room. He muttered under his breath while Rose watched him quietly. On the one hand, she was glad that Jack had escaped with this Ianto, but on the other hand, she was terrified that they might kill the Doctor instead of helping him. She knew Jack was a hothead, and if he had been held by the Doctor and possibly tortured, he might shoot first and ask questions later. Despite everything that had happened to him, she still loved the Doctor with all her heart, and she remained convinced that the other vampires had done something to his mind. She had been willing to undergo conversion only because she hadn't seen a way out, but now there was hope for them both. She only hoped that the Doctor wasn't too far gone now and wouldn't resist his friend's help. Otherwise, the only other option for him might be death, and that was too unbearable for her to even consider.

The Doctor sighed and looked at her sadly.

"Come on, Rose, I'm afraid we'll have to do this later. I have more pressing issues to take care of."

Rose nodded. She let the Doctor pick her up and carry her, as he ran out of the office. Right now, she was his best hope for recovery, and she wasn't going to risk angering him and being left behind in his harem or some other prison. She only hoped that they would be able to find Jack and his friends before someone else did.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

(July 19th, 2007…11:03 P.M…)

The Doctor let out a whoop as he, Lucius, Joshua, and Seth sped down the road in a stolen black, Cadillac convertible. The Doctor and Joshua sat in the backseat with their hands in the air, yelling at the top of their lungs, as the night breeze hit their faces. Lucius and Seth sat in the front seat laughing insanely, occasionally serving into the path of oncoming cars in a game of chicken.

"Oi, mate, you better watch that," Joshua said to Lucius. "You don't want the police getting after us."

"Oh, let them come. We'll make a snack out of them," he said. "I ain't afraid of the rashers. I'll rip their throats out if they try to arrest me."

He looked at the back seat.

"You guys bored?" he asked.

"I am," Joshua said.

"Me too," the Doctor replied.

"Same here," Seth added.

Lucius nodded.

"Yeah, I'm getting kinda bored too. Let's ditch this car and find something else to do."

Lucius noticed a nightclub further up the road. He grinned when he noticed four women standing outside it, talking.

"Ah, now this looks promising, mates," he said. "Let's go get some take-out!"

The three men laughed and nodded. Lucius angled the car into a parking space and shut it off. The Doctor, Seth, and Joshua jumped out of the car and made their way over to the women. Lucius threw the keys on the floor. He figured the dead man's family would want the car back, after all. Then, he opened the door, got out, and followed his friends.

The Doctor stared at the women. There were two brunettes, a red head…, and a blonde with shoulder length hair. The Doctor smiled and made his way towards the blonde-haired woman. He came up behind her.

"Hello there," he said, warmly.

The woman turned and looked at him. The Doctor grinned when he noticed she was checking him out and seemed to be interested. He gave her a quick once over. The woman not only had the same hairstyle, but the color of her hair was almost identical. Perfect. He ignored his three friends who were now busy chatting up the other women and focused all his attention on her.

"I'm the Doctor," he said to her. "What's your name?"

"Rebecca."

The Doctor smiled.

"Rebecca, what a beautiful name," he said.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Well, aren't you the little gentleman," Rebecca said. "That's refreshing. Most of the men I know are complete jerks and wouldn't know manners if it walked up and kicked them in the arse."

She stared at the suit.

"And they don't dress like you do. You look quite dapper, I have to say."

"I'm glad you approve of my fashion sense."

She stared at the piercings.

"Piercings are bit much though," she admitted.

"Well, I figure it's my little rebellion against the whole dapper look."

Rebecca laughed.

"Well, it's nice that you're confident enough to be who you want to be," she said.

The Doctor stared at her. He looked into her eyes. Even her eyes were the same color. This was just too good to be true. On a good night, he was lucky if he could find a woman with only one or two of her physical traits. Some women had the right hair color, but not the right length, or the right color and length, but the wrong eye color. It was extremely rare to find one who resembled her in every way. He moved closer to Rebecca.

"So, you, and your friends going in the club?" he asked.

Rebecca nodded.

"Yeah, it's my birthday, so my friends thought they would bring me here."

The Doctor beamed.

"Well, happy birthday, then," he said.

"Thanks."

"How old are you?"

"21."

The Doctor cursed inwardly. One year off the mark. Still, it didn't really matter, not when the woman resembled her in every other way. He moved closer still.

"You know, this club is complete rubbish. I know a better one. If you want to go with me, I'll take you to it."

The woman looked back at her friends and noticed that they were talking to the other men and were completely ignoring her. She looked back at the Doctor.

"Come on, I can show you a really good time."

He leaned in.

"I'll make it worth your while too," he added, in a husky voice.

The woman took in his handsome, boyish features. She stared at his jet-black hair, pale skin, and expressive dark eyes and felt herself becoming horny. The man was well fit, that was for sure.

"Can you hold on a moment while I tell my friends where I'm going?"

"Of course," the Doctor said, smiling warmly.

He caught Lucius's eyes, and he gave him a knowing smile, as Lucius chuckled and gave him the thumbs up.

"I'm gonna take the car," the Doctor mouthed to him. "I'm sure the guy won't miss it now."

"Keys are on the floor," Lucius mouthed back.

The Doctor nodded. His eyes went over to Rebecca who was arguing with her friends. He locked eyes with Lucius.

"We'll handle this," Lucius mouthed to him.

Lucius moved closer to Rebecca's friends.

"Ladies, let her go with my friend. He'll take good care of her, I promise," he said. "In the meantime, why don't you come with us, and we'll go get something to eat?"

Rebecca's friends looked at him and looked over at the Doctor who grinned and waved. All three of them stared at him and looked at Rebecca.

"I'll be alright, guys, I'll have him drive me home," the Doctor heard her say to her friends.

The three friends gave him a wary look, but they slowly nodded.

"Just…ring us on your mobile if you need us," one of the women said. "We're going to go get something to eat with these guys, and we'll meet up later.

"I will, have fun."

"Yeah, you too."

The three women stared at the Doctor. He could tell they were giving him an appreciative look, and he chuckled under his breath. His boyish looks did serve one purpose. People trusted him more easily, which allowed him to pick out the women with the exact traits he wanted. His friends often teased him about being so selective, but he couldn't help it. There was only one woman on his mind, and if he couldn't have her, then he would have someone that looked like her. Most of the time, he had sex with them and let them go on their way, although sometimes he did feed on one, if he was hungry enough. He had fed earlier on the man who owned the convertible, so he wasn't hungry at the moment, not for blood, at any rate. He was hungry for physical contact, and a warm, mortal body, however, so it pleased him that the woman was willing to go with him. He didn't like forcing people to do what he wanted, he preferred to have them go willingly, so he wouldn't have to worry about restraining them and have his whole night ruined listening to their fearful cries and pleas. His beloved had always trusted him, had never feared, or resisted him when he kissed and caressed her and having someone doing the opposite of that shattered the carefully crafted illusion that she was with him once more. He hated having to satisfy his longing with subpar substitutes, but until she returned, they would have to do.

Rebecca walked up to him. He offered her his hand and grinned from ear to ear when she took it without hesitation.

"Shall we?" he said.

Rebecca nodded and followed him, as he led her back towards the car. He reached it, leaned over, quickly grabbed the keys from the floor, and smiled at her as they got inside. He started up the car and grinned at his friends, as he moved the car out into traffic.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That was great," Rebecca slurred, as she got back into the car. "You were right. That club was much better than the one we were gonna go to."

"Told ya," the Doctor said, getting into the driver's seat. "I do know the best spots in London."

He smiled at her. He could tell she was completely pissed. He checked his watch and noticed it was almost three in the morning. He pulled the convertible guy's wallet out of his pocket and checked it. He smiled when he saw there was more than enough money to rent a hotel room for the night. He cleared his throat and looked over at Rebecca who was giving him a drunken smile.

"Listen, the night is still young, so why don't we go rent a room and have some more fun?" he said.

"Sounds good to me," she said.

The Doctor beamed.

"Great, just hold on, and I'll find a nice one we can spend the night at."

He started up the car and drove off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor opened the door to the hotel room and turned on the light. He looked back at Rebecca and laughed when he noticed she was clinging to him, so she could stay upright.

"I'm a little drunk at the moment," she said, sheepishly.

"Just a little?"

"Okay, a lot drunk," Rebecca said, giggling uncontrollably.

The Doctor grabbed her and helped her inside. He sat her down on the bed, closed the door, and laid the key card on the dresser. He turned and looked at Rebecca who was staring at him with a drunken smile.

"You want this body?" she slurred, grabbing her breast.

"In the worst way," the Doctor replied.

"Come and get it then."

The Doctor chuckled. Both he, and Rebecca began to undress. The Doctor looked in the mirror above the dresser and watched her while she struggled to get her clothes off.

"Rebecca, can I ask a favor of you?" he said, as he stared at her reflection.

Rebecca glanced up at him.

"Sure, what do you want?"

The Doctor smiled.

"Can I call you Rose for the rest of the evening?"

He noticed the confused look on her face.

"Rose? Why Rose?" she asked.

"It's a beautiful name that I've always loved," the Doctor said, softly. "Do you mind if I call you that? I think it would suit you."

Rebecca considered that for a moment and then shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" she said.

The Doctor smiled.

"Thank you," he said.

The Doctor finished undressing. He turned and walked to the bed. Pulling back the covers, he helped Rebecca get under them and then went to turn off the light. He snuggled under the covers and took her in his arms. He began to kiss and caress her, while Rebecca moaned softly.

"Rose, oh my Rose," the Doctor whispered, as he ran his fingers through her hair and down the sides of her face.

He maneuvered on top of her, and entered her. Rebecca ecstatic moans increased, as he began to shag her. The Doctor continued to moan Rose's name, imagining her underneath him in the darkness. He ran his fingers through her hair, imagining it was her hair, and the moan he was hearing was her moan. With the lights out, it was easy to think of his beloved in place of this total stranger, and he lost himself completely in the fantasy as he continued his slow, steady rhythm.

He let out a guttural growl when Rebecca reached up and raked her fingernails down his back.

"Oh God, Rose, more, please." He moaned.

She did it again, and the Doctor's mouth hung open, as the feel of her nails on his back overwhelmed his senses. He plunged his mouth down onto hers and explored every inch of her mouth. Rebecca responded in kind, and the Doctor felt himself nearing climax. He began to pump faster and harder, as he went from her mouth to her neck sucking and nipping at the jugular vein. The smell of her blood invaded his nostrils, making him nearly lose his mind. He couldn't control himself any longer, and as he neared climax, his canines elongated. He bit into her jugular vein just as it occurred, and Rebecca let out a scream of pain and pleasure while the Doctor fed on her. The Doctor lapped at the blood hungrily, no longer caring that he was finished down below. The sound of her heartbeat thundered in his ears, and as he continued to feed, he listened to it slowly fading away until it was barely audible. The Doctor pulled away from both ends and rolled over onto his back, listening while Rebecca breathed her last. He lay there for a moment in the darkness, resting and recovering, licking the last of Rebecca's blood from his lips. Then, letting out a satisfied sigh, he sat up, dressed himself, and headed out the door, so he could be back home before the sun came up.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

(June 19th, 2016)

Rose gripped the Doctor's neck tightly while he slowly flew down towards the ground. She had been quiet the entire time they were in flight, listening to the Doctor muttering under his breath about Jack escaping. She had been afraid to say anything since he was angry enough as it was. She only hoped he wouldn't start killing people right in front of her.

They touched down, and the Doctor looked at her. She flinched, expecting to see his enraged expression, but he looked at her with love and tenderness, and Rose wondered if she should have said something after all. She thanked God that she still seemed to have a calming influence on him, and she hoped this would help convince him to let her and Jack help him become normal again.

The Doctor lowered her to the ground, and she slid out of his arms. He brought her close to him and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I want you to stay with me at all times while we're in here," he said, pointing to a building beside them. "You can't do what you normally do and just wander off because I guarantee someone will try to kill you. Do you understand?"

Rose nodded.

"I mean it, Rose; I'm the only thing that will keep you from becoming someone's meal. No one will hesitate to feed on you, if they find you alone."

"I understand. I won't leave your side."

The Doctor smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Good. Now, follow me."

He took her hand, and Rose stayed right beside him. They walked up to a metal door on the side of the building. Rose noticed that right beside the door was more of the dot and dash writing, although to a casual observer, it looked like nothing more than graffiti. The Doctor pushed a button mounted in the wall, and a little panel slid open in the door.

"I expect I don't have to tell you who I am," the Doctor said, to the person on the other side of the door. "This is Rose, she's with me."

The panel slid back, and the door opened. The Doctor walked inside, and Rose followed behind him. She glanced at the man the Doctor had been talking to and noticed he was incredibly tall, muscular, and imposing. Rose could see why he was chosen to guard the door.

She walked down a long corridor. All around them, the plastered walls were bare, save for the occasional bloodstain. The lights above them were dim, giving the whole place a dreary look. Occasionally, they passed by rooms that had open doors, and Rose could see living quarters and offices. The windows that she could see had all been bricked up, and it added to the whole claustrophobic feel of the place.

They came out of the corridor into a large room. There were no lights on here, only a roaring fireplace off to the side. Overstuffed chairs and couches were spread around the room, and several vampire men and women were sitting in them chatting quietly. They stopped talking when they saw her and stared at her, hungrily. But, she noticed they took one look at the Doctor and went right back to talking, and she thanked God that the Doctor was in control of them.They went into another corridor and got halfway down it before the Doctor stopped at a door on his right. He opened it, and Rose noticed that it was a tiny office. It was not as lavish as the Doctor's office, however. The desk looked old, and rickety, and there was nothing on it, but a stack of papers, and a pen. There was an old, wooden, kitchen chair in front of the desk and one filing cabinet. Other than that, it was completely bare. The Doctor ushered Rose in, and she noticed that standing in the corner of the room were two very nervous looking men. She could see bruises and gash marks on their faces and arms and guessed these were a couple of the guards who had been guarding the Doctor's harem. The Doctor closed the door, looked at Rose and pointed to the kitchen chair.

"Sit," he said to her.

Rose obeyed and watched the Doctor while he walked over to the men, folded his arms across his chest, and gave them a murderous look.

"Well, out with it, what happened?" he demanded.

"Sir, I'm sorry," the man said, gesturing to the man beside him. "Derek and I…"

"I'm not interested in apologies, I'm interested in explanations!" the Doctor snarled at him. "Now, tell me what happened, Lazarus, before I gut you like a pig. How did Jack and Ianto escape?"

"They…"

Lazarus looked over at Derek and grunted when the Doctor seized his face and forced his gaze back to him.

"I'm not asking him, I'm asking you!" he said, with barely contained rage. "Now how did it happen?"

Rose could see the terror in the man's eyes, and she shivered, wondering if the Doctor was going to murder the man right in front of her.

Then, she saw a truly horrific sight. The Doctor's handsome face suddenly contorted and began demonic looking. She flinched when she heard him say, "Tell me!" in a deep voice. Both Lazarus and Derek were trembling, and when the Doctor looked over at Derek, she could see his brown eyes were now a bright yellow. It took all she had in her not to bolt from the room.

"HOW?" the Doctor bellowed at them.

Derek gulped, and the Doctor fixed his yellow eyes on him.

"He…the immortal one…got hold of a knife somehow, sir," he said, timidly.

The Doctor stared at him.

"What do you mean, got hold of a knife?" he demanded. "When was he given a chance to get hold of a weapon? Who had a weapon near him?"

Rose gripped the bottom of the seat, as she fought the urge to run over and calm the Doctor down. She was terrified that he was going to kill these men at any moment, but she was even more afraid that if she tried to stop him, he would lose control completely and hurt, or kill her. She swallowed hard, trying not to look at the Doctor's demonic face directly.

"WELL!" the Doctor bellowed at Derek. "WHEN DID HE HAVE ACCESS TO A WEAPON? ESPECIALLY AFTER I TOLD EVERYONE NOT TO GO IN THERE UNLESS THEY WERE UNARMED! WHO DISOBEYED ME?"

"It was…Colin, sir." Lazarus said, meekly.

The Doctor turned his demonic gaze back on him.

"Colin, the one who is supposedly being trained to be a guard…BY YOU?"

Lazarus flinched.

"Y…yes, sir. Look, I told the lad a hundred times not to go in there carrying weapons---"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM A HUNDRED AND ONE TIMES!" the Doctor roared. "OR BETTER YET, YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT HIM OUT OF THERE AND WENT IN THERE YOURSELF, SINCE YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS IN CHARGE OF EVERYONE ELSE! NO ONE, BUT YOU, HAD ANY REAL BUSINESS BEING IN THERE, AND THE ONLY BUSINESS YOU HAD IN THERE WAS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH FOOD AND WATER! I WAS LED TO BELIEVE YOU WERE THE BEST, THAT'S WHY I HIRED YOU TO DO THIS JOB!"

He looked at Derek, who cowered away from him.

"And you were second in command, so why didn't you check to make sure that he was unarmed, HUH?"

"I'm…I'm sorry, sir, I…"

Rose gasped when the Doctor seized Derek by the throat and slammed him against the desk. She leapt from the chair and ran to the other side of the room while the Doctor leaned over Derek, enraged.

"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT INTERESTED IN APOLOGIES! IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT! BECAUSE OF YOUR INCOMPETENCE, TWO MEN ESCAPED WHO COULD CONCEIVABLY COME BACK AND DESTROY US ALL! WHEN THEY RUN A STAKE THROUGH YOUR HEART, ARE YOU GONNA APOLOGIZE THEN TOO?"

Derek grunted when he threw him against the wall.

"I WANT YOU TO ROUND UP EVERYONE YOU CAN AND GET OUT THERE AND FIND THEM! AND DON'T COME BACK UNTIL THEY ARE IN YOUR POSSESSION, PREFERABLY WITH THE REST OF THEIR RAGTAG BAND! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR APOLOGIES. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR EXCUSES. I JUST WANT YOU TO CORRECT YOUR ERROR AND ROUND THEM UP BEFORE WE ALL END UP DEAD! NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SIGHT BEFORE I RIP YOUR HEARTS FROM YOUR CHESTS!"

Rose watched, as the two men practically fell over one another in their haste to get out of the office. She jumped when they slammed the door so hard; bits of plaster fell off the walls. Rose turned her frightened gaze to the Doctor. He turned and looked at her, and she saw that his face had returned to normal, and his eyes were their usual dark brown. He stared at her for a moment, and then he slowly walked towards her.

"I'm sorry, angel, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said, gently. "It's just that these men were supposedly the best guards we had, so it's extremely upsetting to hear that someone that they were supposed to be training was allowed to enter the concubine's quarters, armed.

"You…your face," Rose said.

The Doctor paused, wondering what she meant and then it hit him.

"Oh yeah, that's another thing vampires can do. It's still kind of a puzzle to me. I guess somewhere along the line, vampires acquired some limited shape shifting abilities. I can assure you, I may look demonic when I do that, but I'm not possessed by a demon. I didn't even realize I did it that time, although I can switch it on and off if I want to. I was so angry that my face just contorted to match it. I didn't know I did that, and I'm so sorry you had to see it. I was wondering why you were standing over here with a petrified look on your face."

"You…you didn't hear yourself? You had a really deep, scary voice just now."

The Doctor sighed.

"Rose, I was so angry, I really couldn't tell. All I wanted to do was punch those git's lights out for doing this to me. I wasn't paying any attention to my voice."

He sighed and slumped down in the kitchen chair.

"Damn them for doing this to me," he muttered.

Rose walked over to him and tentatively put her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you going to kill them?" she asked.

The Doctor let out a ruthful laugh.

"No, although the thought did cross my mind. No, I have better things to do than kill them. It wasn't their fault as much as it was Colin's anyway. That git was told repeatedly not to go in the concubine's chambers with weapons, and he went and did it anyway. I'm not employing him any longer; he seems to have cotton in his ears."

He let out a curse in a language Rose couldn't identify. She had heard him curse in Gallifreyan before, so she knew it wasn't that. She guessed it was the vampire language. The Doctor leaned his head back against her stomach and closed his eyes when Rose put her hand on his forehand. A slight smile spread over his face when she began to stroke her hair. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Are you happy that Jack has escaped?" he asked her.

Rose froze. The Doctor smiled at her when she remained silent.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not gonna get angry at you for speaking the truth," he said gently.

Rose nodded.

"Yes, I am glad," she said.

"Even though it means he'll probably come back with his gang, and kill me?"

Rose shook her head.

"I won't let that happen. If he does come back, I will talk to him."

The Doctor chuckled at that.

"You think he's really gonna listen to you, after spending time as my concubine?" the Doctor asked her.

"I think so, because…"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Because…what?"

Rose sighed.

"Because I still think they did something to you, Doctor."

"Rose…"

"Doctor, think back, can't you think of a time where they might have messed with your mind? You wouldn't think and act like this even if you were "convinced" that the vampire life is good."

She stoked his hair.

"I know you, Doctor. You wouldn't normally think holding people against their will would be a good thing. I mean, you went off on me when I suggested we go visit a zoo one day, because you said you couldn't stand to see animals in cages. Jack and Ianto had every right to escape, you would have done the same thing if you were them, in fact, you did when Ian had you trapped in the basement. You wouldn't think draining people of their blood would be a good thing too. The Doctor I know would do everything in his power to resist that. He wouldn't want power or to be the leader of all the vampires, and he certainly wouldn't want a bleedin' office. And…the Doctor I know would die before he changed me into a vampire. That's why you sent me away in the first place, wasn't it? Because you couldn't bear the thought of someone changing me into the undead? Can't you see that something has happened to you?"

Hope stirred within Rose when she saw the Doctor seriously considering her words.

"Tell me what you remember about the night they converted you. What happened?"

The Doctor frowned, as he thought back.

"They took me in a room that's a little ways down from here after the high council condemned me to conversion," he murmured. "I went with them willingly figuring by doing this I was protecting you."

He glanced up at her and smiled.

"Everything I did was to protect you," he said.

Rose smiled and stroked his cheek. The Doctor continued to think back.

"They took me in the room, Lucius strapped me down, and…um…licked and kissed me."

"Who?"

"One of the guys I hang around with. Lucius, and Seth, and Joshua, they're my mates."

"Wait, you hang around with the people who did this to you?" Rose said in disbelief.

"Well, in my view, they did me a favor by converting me."

Rose snorted.

"Think again, Doctor," she muttered.

She sighed.

"So, what happened after they…kissed you," she said, with distaste.

"Lucius bit me then and drained my blood."

He smiled at her.

"I remembered concentrating on you, as he was doing it."

Rose smiled. She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"My vision started to go dark, as I was dying, and that's when…"

"What, Doctor?"

"I thought I heard him say…ready the syringe, but I was near death then and…"

"Wait, he said that. This Lucius guy said, ready the syringe?" Rose said.

"Yes, I mean, maybe, I'm not sure. It could have just been me imagining it."

"Somehow I doubt it," Rose muttered. "What happened after Lucius said that, did anything happen? Did you see a syringe?"

The Doctor struggled to remember.

"I thought…there was a sharp pain in the back of my head, but…I was almost dead and…lack of blood to my brain could have made me hallucinate and…"

He paused when he noticed Rose wasn't listening anymore, as she looked through the hair on the back of his head.

"Rose, it could have been me. It could have been a hallucination. I was dying then and…"

"Do you have your sonic screwdriver, Doctor?" Rose said rushing around the front.

"Yes, why?"

"I wanna do a reading on the back of your head. If there is something in the back of your head, it'll detect it, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded. Rose held out her hand.

"Please, let me check, just to put my fears to rest," she begged.

The Doctor shrugged, reached into his jacket pocket, adjusted the setting on the screwdriver, and gave it to her.

"I don't think there's anything there, Rose," he said, as she walked around him.

She knelt down, held the sonic screwdriver to his head, and turned it on. The Doctor blinked. Suddenly, it felt as if a fog had lifted from his mind.

"Rose…"

Rose looked at him.

"Yeah?"

"What did you just do?"

"I…scanned the back of your head, why?"

"Because you just freed me from whatever they put in there."

Rose paused a moment, not sure if she heard him right. Then, his words sank in and she rushed around to the front.

"Doctor? You…you're yourself again?"

The Doctor nodded and smiled.

"Yes, whatever was in there, the sonic screwdriver must have shorted it out."

Tears came to Rose's eyes, and she sobbed, as she embraced the Doctor. The Doctor held her tightly and kissed her lips.

"See, Doctor, I told you there was something back there," Rose said, stroking his hair.

The Doctor smiled.

"And once again, I should have listened to you right off the bat."

He stroked her cheek.

"Oh, Rose, I'm so sorry. I almost changed you into this. If Thomas hadn't come into the room..."

Rose put her fingers to his lips.

"It wasn't your fault, Doctor, you weren't thinking straight."

"All the people I killed, all those innocent people."

Rose's heart ached when she saw the guilt in his eyes.

"You weren't thinking right, Doctor, it wasn't your fault," she said, putting her forehead against hers.

He sighed and looked her in the eyes.

"I have so much to atone for, Rose, so much," he said. "All the lives I destroyed because of them. I told Ian I would keep my nose out of their affairs if the vampires didn't bother me, but now, I can't stand back and let them do this to anyone else. They have to be stopped at all costs."

He looked at her sadly.

"I don't blame you if you don't want to be with me anymore, Rose, I don't deserve to have you by my side. If you leave, I won't stop you."

There was a long pause while the Doctor stared at her.

"Is that all you're gonna say about that?" Rose asked.

The Doctor frowned.

"Yeah, I guess," he said.

"Good, I'm glad you got that out of your system. Now, moving on, how are_ we _gonna stop them?"

"Are you sure you wanna stay with me, Rose?"

"Are you gonna try to bite me anymore?"

"No."

"Then, yes, I want to stay with you. I love you, and I told you this wasn't your fault. Those bastards messed with your mind and made you into a killer. It wasn't you. Now, how are we gonna get back at them and get you back to normal?"

"There is no way for me to get back to normal, Rose."

"But…when you killed Ian, you returned to normal," Rose said.

The Doctor sighed.

"When you are bitten, you have until the first full moon before the change becomes permanent, after that it doesn't matter if you kill the vampire that bit you or not. Nor are you supposed to kill anyone on your own, that also ensures you stay a vampire. Both of these have occurred, Rose. If I kill Lucius now, it'll make no difference. I'm a vampire, permanently."

Rose shook her head.

"No, there has to be a way to reverse it. You could think up a way, I know you could."

The Doctor thought.

"I suppose I might be able to eventually, but at the moment, I can't think about that. We have to find Jack, and Ianto, and the rest of his gang, convince them not to kill me and enlist their help to bring down the vampires."

"Then, let's get started. We can go back to the TARDIS. I'm sure she'll let you in now."

The Doctor snorted.

"Not so sure about that."

"She will, because I'll convince her to. Do you know where Jack's Torchwood was at?"

"Yeah, they were based in Cardiff."

"Well, we'll go to Cardiff then. Then, we'll get them, convince them to help, and come back and defeat the vampires, and stop this time loop thing, so everything goes back to normal."

"You realize that if we destroy the machine, I will have to go somewhere during the daytime, so I don't fry."

"Well, luckily the TARDIS doesn't have any windows then, yeah? Now come on, before someone else comes in and bothers you."

The Doctor smiled.

"That's what I love about you, Tyler, your take charge attitude."

He stood up and took her hand.

"And now that I'm back to my old, undead self. I can proudly say…allons-y!"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Rose flew with the Doctor, while he made his way back to the TARDIS. She laid her head against his shoulder and let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that the Doctor had his mind back, and she no longer had to fear being converted or killed by him. She hoped to God that he would be able to change himself back into a mortal, but even if he couldn't, she was prepared to spend the rest of her life with him as a vampire. It didn't matter to her, as long as he was the same person inside.

She felt the Doctor begin to go down, and she glanced down to see the TARDIS below them. It felt so good to see her again. She glanced at the Doctor and saw he was just as happy as she was.

He touched down lightly in front of the TARDIS and let go of Rose.

"You better talk to her," he said to her.

Rose nodded, walked up to the TARDIS, and rubbed her side.

"Hey, girl, let us in. The Doctor's mind is free now. I freed him, so you don't have to worry about him being inside ya."

The Doctor felt the TARDIS searching inside his mind. He smiled, when he felt his ship's joy at having confimation of Rose's words, and the door swung open to admit him.

"At last," the Doctor sighed, as he took Rose's hand and walked inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh, Rassilon, what did I do to myself?"

The Doctor stood at his full-length mirror in the wardrobe room looking at himself with distaste. Rose stood behind him giving him an amused look, while he stared at his piercings in horror.

"My handsome face, I punctured the hell outta it," he muttered.

"Now, you see why I kept trying to tell ya they'd messed with your mind?" Rose said. "I knew you wouldn't do that stuff to your face voluntarily."

The Doctor blew air from his lips.

"Well, now that I have my common sense back, I'm getting rid of em," he said.

He reached up to take out his lip ring and paused.

"No, on second thought, I better leave them in for now," he muttered. "As distasteful as they are, they need to stay in, so no one will suspect I've regained my mind."

He looked at his hair and shook his head.

"Rassilon, what the hell was I going for when I did this?" he said running his hand through it. "A vampire Elvis Presley or something? Now I know I wasn't in my right mind, because if I had any inkling of what I was doing, I would have gone bloody ginger."

He looked down at his suit.

"Now the black suit, I don't mind."

"Yeah, I agree with that. You do look good in black."

The Doctor looked back at Rose and grinned.

"Well, in that case, I'll keep that part of the look," he said, winking.

He looked down at his feet and made a face when he saw he was wearing black dress shoes.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, these have got to go. I am not wearing bleedin' dress shoes. I have a pair of black plimsols that'll do nicely."

He started to get them and then sighed.

"Of course, with my luck, they'll look down and notice the shoes straight away," he muttered, as he turned back to the mirror.

He looked over at the black leather trench coat lying on a chair beside the mirror.

"Why, oh why, did I have to decide to change my appearance?" he muttered. "Now, I'm stuck with it for the time being."

He ran his hand through his hair while he looked around the room. Rose noticed that his eyes widened, and she turned to look where he was looking. She saw his tan trench coat lying in a wad in the corner of the room.

"No!" the Doctor said running to it. "Damn it, how could I be so stupid? This is a rare, one of a kind coat. Argh, I hope I haven't ruined it."

He picked it up. Putting one hand inside it, he smoothed it out with the other and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was undamaged.

"Good, I'm glad I had sense enough to put the coat in here instead of just pitching it in a rubbish bin somewhere," he muttered, walking back to Rose.

He laid it over the top of his black coat and went through the pockets. He pulled out his psychic paper and put that in his inside jacket pocket. He pulled out a white, paper bag and looked inside.

"Butterscotch?" he said, holding the bag out to Rose.

Rose took a butterscotch hard candy and popped it in her mouth. The Doctor started to do the same, then cursed loudly.

"Here, angel, bag's yours," he said, holding it out.

Rose frowned.

"You don't want them?" she asked.

"I can't have them. My body can't digest solid food anymore. All I can have besides blood is liquids and even then, I have to have in very small quantities. I don't want the candy to go to waste, so here, take it."

Rose took the bag and put it in her pocket, while the Doctor went back to checking his pocket.

"So, when you say liquids, you mean you could drink water or milk if you wanted to?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I really don't feel like drinking either of them. The only thing I really drank, besides blood, was liquor with Lucius and the others."

Rose raised her eyebrow.

"How often did you do that? You mentioned you got drunk watching Dracula."

I did it a couple of times. I only got stone drunk once though because the next morning I ended up paying for it with a severe stomachache. When a vampire drinks liquor they usually put it in blood, since the blood allows it to be absorbed easier. But, as I said, you can't go overboard because it's hell on your system. It took me only one time to find that out and then I never did it again. I learned the same thing when I tried cocaine sprinkled with blood."

Rose stared at him.

"You did cocaine?" she said in disbelief.

The Doctor laid a small torch on the chair and sighed, as he looked at her.

"Once. Seth, who was one of the people I hung around with, liked to do that. The idea is to take the cocaine, mix it with a little bit of blood and snort it. When I first started hanging out with them, he offered it to me one night, and stupid me, I just had to try it. And, like I said, it only took one time to convince me being a coke addict was a bad idea because for about four hours afterwards, I was bouncing off the walls…literally. You know how hyper I usually am, Rose, just try to imagine me hyper after I've been coked up."

He nodded when Rose gave him a horrified look.

"I'm not kidding when I say I was bouncing off the walls. I was flying all over the place, just filled with manic energy. Course my so-called friends thought it was hilarious, which didn't help matters, but I learned my lesson the hard way. I never did any sort of drugs again after that night. Being a vampire has been quite a learning experience, I must say."

He finished with one pocket and reached into the other. Rose frowned when he suddenly froze with a disgusted look on his face.

"What is it?"

The Doctor looked back at her with the same look on his face, while he slowly withdrew his hand from the pocket. Rose gasped and stepped back when he pulled out a rotten, black, mushy banana.

"Oh God, I thought something smelled kinda funky in here, but I thought maybe it was my imagination," Rose said, pinching her nose shut.

"No, it's not your imagination, Rose. Unfortunately, I could have detected the smell before I stuck my hand in here, but in order to smell something, I have to make a conscious effort, since I'm not breathing anymore. Damn them for this, I hope my coat isn't ruined."

He sighed and muttered, "Wait here a moment, I'm gonna wash this off my hand," to Rose while he went downstairs.

He returned a few minutes later, grabbed the coat, opened the pocket, and looked inside.

"Good," he said, relieved. "The banana was the only thing in this pocket, and I noticed most of it went on my hand. Well, that teaches me to carry perishable food in my pocket like that. Course, when I put it in there, I wasn't expecting to be turned into a vampire who would suddenly desire a Goth look."

He laid the coat over the chair, picked up the black coat and put it on. He picked through the things lying on the chair.

"Might need the torch for you," he muttered, putting it in the coat pocket. "Perhaps the matches, bit of string, never know when string might come in handy, so I'll take that…"

He paused and picked up his glasses. He stared at them.

"You need those?"

"Not anymore, I have enhanced vision now," he said, deciding not to mention the fact that he really just wore them to look intelligent. "Still…"

He turned them over and over in his hands.

"I really don't want to leave them behind. I feel so naked without them."

"Then bring them along."

The Doctor nodded and put them in his pocket.

"Eh, I'll just think of them as a good luck charm, especially since I'm gonna need all the luck I can get to change back now."

Rose laid his hand on his shoulder.

"You will, I know you will. If anyone can figure out a way to become mortal, you can."

The Doctor smiled at her and kissed her hand.

"With you here giving me support and helping me out, I know I will," he said.

He glanced down at the rest of the contents and decided that nothing else was necessary. He straightened his coat and took one more look in the mirror.

"Okay, let's go find Jack and his gang before my former minions do," he said to Rose.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The TARDIS came to a stop in front of the Millennium Centre in Cardiff. The Doctor opened the door and looked out. After making sure no one was nearby, he opened the door wider and let Rose go outside.

She turned and looked around at the Centre.

"Here?"

"Yes, I landed it near the rift. I figure if Jack's Torchwood is anywhere in the city, it would be near here," he replied.

He closed the door.

"Stay near me, just in case there are some immortals out," he said.

"Trust me, I ain't walking away from you, if my life depends on it," Rose replied.

She looked around.

"How we gonna find him?"

He sighed.

"Hopefully, he has a way to find us, and we won't have to go looking."

He took Rose's hand.

"We'll just take a walk around this general area and see if he shows up," he said. "If not, then we'll look elsewhere, but I figure unless the rest of his gang have high-tailed it out of Cardiff, he's gonna come back here to get them, and unless they've stolen a vehicle or found a way back from London, I expect it's gonna take them awhile. With luck, if we don't run into Jack, we'll run into someone he works with, since I'm sure they're all wanting to talk to me and force me to tell them where Jack and Ianto are. Anyway, let's just walk a bit and enjoy the night air and see what happens."

Rose nodded. They walked away from the TARDIS towards the Millennium Centre. They swung their arms while Rose looked around at their surroundings. She was getting used to the feel of the Doctor's skin. It was cold, but not clammy, which was a relief to her. She only wished her body heat could warm him up, and it made her even more determined to help him find a cure for his vampirism.

As they walked, she felt the Doctor stiffen and looked up at him, questioningly. She noticed he was looking off to her left, and she turned and saw a group of men leaning against a wall staring at her. She could tell from their pale skin that they were vampires, and she huddled closer to the Doctor. She heard him snarling, and saw that he had his mouth opened and was displaying his fangs, as a warning not to get too close to them. She looked back at the men and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed them turning and walking away, and she felt the Doctor relax.

"Vampires aren't as familiar with me here, as they are in London," he said to her. "If this was London, they would never have stared at you that long. They would have seen me and backed off. I just hope I don't have to get in a fight with some overeager git who's looking for a quick meal."

Rose shivered at that. She felt the Doctor squeeze her hand.

"Don't worry; I won't let anything happen to you. I'm more than able to hold my own in a fight," he assured her. "I'm more worried about Jack's Torchwood attacking us, at any rate. Vampires here may not recognize me as easily, but you had better believe they know my name, and they won't do anything to provoke me, once they figure out who I am. Torchwood is another matter. I'm not sure if Jack's gang shoots first and asks questions later, but I don't want you in the middle of it, if they do, especially if they get it into their heads that you're an immortal also."

He looked around them, as they walked. Suddenly, he tugged on Rose's hand, stopping her.

"Two people back there, man and a woman, and they're mortals," he said, looking at her. "They're hiding in the shadows watching us, but I can see them. Get in front of me, in case they try to shoot me from behind."

Rose nodded. She stepped in front of the Doctor.

"Just keep walking, let me see if I can draw them out into the open. I have excellent hearing, so I'll hear them if they try to get the drop on us. Just keep calm and keep walking."

He and Rose walked. As they did, the Doctor listened intently. He could hear their breathing and their heartbeats and calculated they were several feet behind them. He tugged on Rose's arm, stopping her, as he pretended to hear a noise. He tensed his body and made a show of looking all around him, so he could see where they were. He noticed that the man and woman were still keeping to the shadows and had their bodies pressed up against a wall several feet away. He could see that both of them were armed, and he cursed under his breath.

"Okay, Rose, walk on," he muttered to her.

He and Rose resumed walking.

"They're behind us, and they're both armed with handguns. This is gonna be a bit tricky, but when I give the signal, you turn around, grab my neck and I'm gonna take flight and try to get somewhere where I can talk to them and not risk you being shot. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Good, just keep walking and keep calm. I'll say now when I want you to turn."

Rose nodded and kept walking. The Doctor listened, gauging the distance between them and their pursuers. He could tell they were closing in, and he knew that now was the time to act.

"Okay, Rose, now!" he said.

Rose spun around and threw her arms around his neck with one fluid motion. The Doctor quickly lifted off into the air, holding her tightly while he flew over the startled man and woman to the building beside them. He landed on top and set Rose down.

"Get down, in case they start firing."

Rose crouched down, while the Doctor walked to the edge of the building. He could see the man and the woman pointing their guns at him. Both of them had black hair. The woman's was shoulder length and the man's was extremely short.

"Listen to me, I want to talk to you!" he yelled at them. "I'm not going to hurt you, and the woman who is with me is innocent. Put down your weapons and let's talk."

"What have you done with Jack and Ianto?" the man yelled at them.

"I've done nothing to them. I was holding them, but both of them escaped from me, and I assume are making their way back here. You are part of his Torchwood group?"

"Yes. I assume you are the vampire known as the Doctor?" the man said.

"I am, but listen to me, I want to talk to you!"

"Yeah, right, sure you do," the man said.

The Doctor gasped when Rose came up beside him.

"He's telling the truth. He's a friend of Jack's. We both are. Please don't shoot and let us come down and we'll explain."

The Doctor paused with his hand on Rose's arm, ready to get her out of the way, if need be. He could see the two of them talking amongst themselves, and he could hear the man asking the woman if they could trust him.

"I doubt if he knows where the Hub is, anyway," he heard the woman say.

"How do you know that, Gwen? He could have tortured Jack and Ianto for that information."

"I can assure you I did not torture either one of them," the Doctor said. "I treated them both well. As for knowing where this Hub is, I have no idea, but if I were you, I'd suggest you go there anyway. Rose and I saw some vampires walking around earlier, and I'm pretty sure they'll be back, probably with more of their friends. You need to get to safety before you become someone's meal."

"Yeah, like yours?" the man shot back.

"He's not a threat," Rose said. "I promise you. I'm Rose Tyler. Jack knows me, and he'll tell you that. Just please trust us, the Doctor wants to…"

The Doctor slammed his hand over her mouth.

"No, not out here, the other vampires can hear as well as I can and if they hear what we're planning to do, they can warn others," he whispered.

Rose nodded.

"The Doctor just wants to talk," she said in a softer voice. "I promise nothing will happen. Nothing has happened to me, I swear. Just please hear us out."

The Doctor saw the man and the woman glance at each other and huddle together. He noticed they tried whispering even softer this time, but he could still hear every word loud and clear. He sighed. Obviously, the two of them had much to learn about vampires. He heard them agree to give them a chance a moment before they said it vocally to him. He nodded and grabbed Rose. He leapt off the roof and slowly came down several feet away just in case they were trigger-happy. He positioned himself between them and Rose and slowly walked towards them with his hands in the air.

"Be warned, we will shoot you if you are lying," the man said, pointing his gun at his heart.

"I understand, and I can assure you that I will not hurt you." he said in a soft voice. "I want to help undo the damage I've done and set things right. Both of us are here to help, but you have to trust us, otherwise nothing gets done. Now, can we go somewhere and talk where the other vampires won't hear me, because if it gets back that I'm betraying them, our help will be for naught."

The man and woman glanced at each other.

"Yeah, just follow us," he said. "We'll take you to our headquarters."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The Doctor and Rose looked around, as the concrete lift slowly lowered into the Hub.

"Wow, impressive," the Doctor said.

He looked back at the man who was holding his gun to the Doctor's back.

"Must have cost a fortune to install this, eh…"

"Owen," the man replied.

"Owen, hi, and you are Gwen?"

Gwen nodded.

"Doctor, Rose," the Doctor said, pointing to each of them in turn. "Nice to meet you. Sorry it couldn't have been under more pleasant circumstances."

The lift stopped, and the Doctor and Rose looked over, as a young woman entered the room, gun pointing at their heads.

"You caught him then, this is the Doctor?" she said, walking up to them.

"Well, in all fairness, he kinda surrendered himself," Owen said.

"He says he wants to talk to us and help undo the damage he caused," Gwen said. "And he said Jack and Ianto escaped, so they're probably on their way back."

The Doctor glanced at them, and he and Rose stepped off the lift.

"First off, I want to apologize for everything I've done…what is your name?"

The woman glanced at Owen. He nodded.

"Toshiko, but you can call me Tosh," she said.

The Doctor nodded.

"I want to apologize for what I've done, Tosh. I was under mind control, and Rose set me free. I can think clearly, and I want to make amends for what I've done. I want to destroy the vampires and destroy the time loop machine. But, Rose and I can't do it alone, which is why we want all of you to help us."

"He's telling the truth," Rose added.

Tosh frowned.

"But, you're still a vampire," she said.

The Doctor sighed.

"Yes, unfortunately, It won't be easy for me to fix that part of it, but I can assure you that even though I am still immortal, I no longer think like them. You are in no danger from me."

"So…you still need to drink blood?" Gwen asked, nervously.

The Doctor nodded.

"Yes, but I won't get it from any of you. I can find a rat or something to feed on."

"No, Doctor, just take some blood from me," Rose said. "I don't want you going after rats."

"Thanks, Rose, but I can't do that to you, especially after I nearly did it earlier tonight. It won't kill me to find a rat or a mouse when I need to feed. That won't be for awhile anyway, so I'm not gonna worry about it. The important thing is finding Jack and Ianto before the other vampires do."

"Has Jack or Ianto tried to phone here?" Gwen asked Tosh.

"No, not yet. I hope they do soon, especially if they are being hunted."

"If I knew where they were, I could use my TARDIS to give them a ride."

"Your what?" Owen said.

"My TARDIS. My ship. It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It's sitting outside, near the Millennium Centre."

"We know," Tosh said. "That's what we picked up on our scanners. Gwen and Owen went out to investigate."

"See, I told you they'd find us," the Doctor said. "Anyway, once I go get them, I can bring them back here and…"

He was cut off when Tosh's mobile rang. She checked the screen and frowned.

"Don't recognize the number, but I bet I know who it is," she said.

She answered it and nodded.

"It's them," she said, to the others.

All of them listened while she talked to Jack.

"You're in London?" Tosh said. "Okay, well, um…we have a…new development. The Doctor is here with us."

The Doctor flinched when he heard Jack screaming at Tosh to run.

"No, wait, the Doctor says he's been set free. He was under some form of mind control and…"

"That's what he wants you to think, Tosh," the Doctor heard Jack say. "It's a trick, get out of there now!"

"Tosh," Rose said. "Can I talk to him please?"

"Um, Jack, someone named Rose is here with the Doctor."

"Rose?" the Doctor heard him say. "Oh God, is she alright?"

Tosh glanced at Rose.

"Um, as far as I know. She wants to talk to you though."

"Put her on," Jack said.

Tosh handed the mobile to Rose.

"Jack?"

"Rose," the Doctor heard him say. "Oh Jesus, are you okay? Has the Doctor hurt you?"

"No, Jack, I'm fine. The Doctor hasn't touched me," she assured him. "Just please listen to me. The Doctor is all right now. He's not a threat anymore. I was scanning his head with the sonic screwdriver because I thought they'd done something to his mind, and when I turned it on, it shorted out whatever was in there. He's still a vampire physically, but he's back to his old self mentally. He won't hurt you or Ianto. In fact, if you tell us where you are, we can use the TARDIS, come get you, and bring you back here."

"Are you sure about this, Rose? You sure it's not an act?"

"No, it's not an act. The TARDIS even let him inside her, and she wouldn't do that before. I swear to you, his mind is back to normal, and he and I want to help fix things and get rid of the vampires once and for all."

There was a pause.

"Let me talk to him," Jack said.

Rose handed the mobile to the Doctor.

"I'm here, Jack, and I'm sorry for what I did to you, and Ianto, and everyone else."

Jack sighed angrily.

"Well, it's a damn good thing you were being controlled because I was planning to bury stakes so deep in your hearts, they'd be coming out your backside."

"And I deserve that, Jack. I deserve to be in the lowest levels of Hell for what I did. I'm not dismissing anything I did. I just want you to know that they did do something to brainwash me, and that's only because they know my mind wouldn't have been affected otherwise. Believe me, I'm back to normal mentally, and I swear to you, I will not hurt you or Ianto. I need you and your team's help to defeat the vampires and destroy the time loop machine, so that everything will go back to normal."

"Why didn't you destroy the time loop machine before you left London?"

"Because the room it's in is heavily guarded, both within and without, and as powerful as I am, it would look awfully suspicious if I waltzed in there with a spanner and began demolishing it. Building the time loop machine was one of their aims when they converted me. That's why they wanted me brainwashed, so I wouldn't object to building it. Rose was the one who saw that I was acting different and even she couldn't convince me of that, until the chip or whatever it was in my head was shorted out. That's how strong a hold they had on my mind."

"Rose, where was she? I didn't see her in that harem of yours."

The Doctor laid a hand against her cheek.

"I sent her away in the TARDIS before I was captured. I set the coordinates, so it would arrive earlier today. That's where she's been for the past ten years."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, it's good to have you back to normal for the most part, Doc. I was dreading having to kill you, especially since deep down I figured it wasn't your fault. We're over near Nelson's Column. If you wanna go there and wait for us, we can walk over."

"How far away are you? Before Rose shorted out the chip, I ordered the vampires to look for you. If it's a long walk, then I wanna land closer. I don't want you and Ianto getting caught before we get to you."

"No, we're nearby. We'll be alright. Just go there, so we know what to look for and don't end up walking around London all night looking for you."

"Alright, Rose and I are coming. Hold tight."

"We will, and Doctor?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're alright now."

The Doctor smiled.

"Me too, Jack. I'm glad I didn't do anything to you, or Ianto, or anyone else in that harem."

"Me too. Well, we'll be watching for you."

"We're coming, Jack. Just lie low, and we'll see you in a few minutes. Bye."

"Bye, Doc."

The Doctor handed the phone back to Tosh and looked at Gwen.

"Mind giving Rose and me a lift back up?" he asked her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Jack and Ianto walked to the base of Nelson's column and looked around for the TARDIS.

"You sure you can trust the Doctor, Jack?" Ianto asked him.

Jack sighed.

"Not entirely, but I trust Rose. I believe her when she says the Doctor isn't a threat, and she's the reason I agreed to do this."

"But, what if Rose…is a vampire too?"

Jack considered that.

"Then we deal with them accordingly. Personally, I'd rather deal with two vampires, than a whole city of them."

They turned their heads around when they heard the TARDIS and saw it materializing.

"Well, here goes nothing," Jack said to Ianto.

The door opened, and Rose stepped outside. Jack and Ianto ducked into the shadows and watched her while she looked around.

"Her skin's not pale," Jack whispered to Ianto. "She's mortal."

"So, she's telling the truth," Ianto whispered back.

"Maybe…"

They shrank back when the Doctor came out behind her.

"Or he might have her under his control," Jack added.

"I don't see them yet, Doctor," Rose was saying to him.

"Oh, they're here, I just heard Jack whispering, and I can hear their heartbeats."

Jack cursed under his breath. They watched while the Doctor looked around, and his eyes settled on them. He rolled his eyes.

"There they are, Rose, skulking in the shadows," he said, pointing at them.

Jack and Ianto emerged from the shadows, as the Doctor and Rose walked up. They stopped a few feet away from them.

"Captain, Ianto," the Doctor said, nodding.

"Doctor," Jack said.

The Doctor saw the angry look on his face and sighed.

"I thought we cleared this up earlier," he said.

"Well, I'm sorry, Doctor. I tend not to trust people who capture me and hold me against my will."

"Jack, he's fine now!"

"Oh, really, and how do I know you aren't under his control?"

"You don't, alright? You don't know for sure if I'm back to normal, and Rose isn't my slave, which means you have to trust me, and If I were you, I suggest you do so since the whole of London's undead is searching for you two right now. So, your choice. Us or them?"

"Please, Jack, the Doctor won't hurt you, I swear."

Jack looked into Rose's eyes. He noticed they were clear and focused, and he nodded.

"Alright, we'll go with you. But, I swear, you even breathe wrong on my neck…"

"I'm not going anywhere near your neck," the Doctor said, holding up his hands.

Jack nodded.

"After you, then," he said, pointing at the TARDIS.

The Doctor took Rose's hand and went back inside.

"Keep on your toes, Ianto, just in case," he said to him, as he took his hand.

They followed him inside. Jack started to go up the ramp when he felt a tug on his hand. He turned around and saw Ianto looking at the interior in awe. He sighed, walked around him, and closed the door.

The Doctor stared at them, as he stood at the console.

"Gonna come over here?" he asked.

"We're fine here, thanks, Jack said, folding his arms over his chest.

The Doctor sighed and looked at Rose who was standing beside him. He set the coordinates and started up the TARDIS.

"I swear to God, Doctor, if you've done something to my team…" Jack said.

"I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO THEM!" the Doctor roared. "I AM BACK TO NORMAL! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT?"

Jack looked over at Rose, who was pleading with him silently for understanding. He sighed and walked over to the console.

"Like I was telling Ianto, the only reason I am in here is because I trust Rose."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, which is why I sent her out the door first," the Doctor said. "And as you can see, she is perfectly alright."

The TARDIS landed and powered down.

"Open the door and go see your team," the Doctor said, pointing to the door.

Jack glanced at Ianto, opened the door, and stepped out into the hub. He saw Gwen, Owen, and Tosh standing nearby and ran to them, as Ianto stepped outside the TARDIS.

"Oh God, it's good to see you guys again," Jack said, while Ianto ran and embraced Gwen.

They hugged one another while the Doctor and Rose stepped outside and stood by the door. Rose looked up and saw the Doctor staring at Jack with a hurt look on his face. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked down at her with a sad look on his face.

"Give him time, Doctor. He'll trust you, eventually," Rose said.

"I just don't know what else I can do to convince him I'm back to normal now."

"Well, he can see you spared his friends. That oughta count for something."

"I should have just gone with you. I should have taken Jackie, got in the TARDIS and left and then none of this would have happened."

"You did what you had to, Doctor. I don't blame you for what happened."

She paused, and her eyes widened.

"Oh God, mum! I forgot about her in all the confusion. Is she alright?"

The Doctor thought for a moment.

"You still have your mobile?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do…"

Rose reached into her pocket and pulled it out. She started to call the flat and paused.

"Wait, would they still be watching the flat?"

"I don't know. I never told anyone to go there because I knew where you were and when you were coming back. I doubt they've been watching it after ten years."

"Just the same, I better call mum's mobile."

The Doctor watched Jack and Ianto talk to the others while Rose punched in Jackie's number. It rang for a moment before she heard someone pick up.

"Mum," Rose said.

"Rose? Honey, is that you? Oh my God, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm with the Doctor. He's alright. Are you all right? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, sweetie. I'm in Germany with Howard."

"Germany?"

"Yeah, in Bonn. Howard has some friends here, and after the vampires started taking over, he took us here to be safe. Well, as safe as we can be since the vampires are everywhere now. Is the Doctor all right? The last I saw of him, they knocked him out and were taking him away."

Rose glanced at the Doctor.

"Yeah, he's alright, mum. He…"

Rose hesitated.

"He…um…escaped right after the vampires left the flat, and he hid out until he met up with me."

The Doctor stared at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Well, can I talk to him again?" Jackie asked.

Rose glanced at the Doctor. He groaned.

"Oh no, she's being held hostage again."

Rose chuckled.

"No, she just wants to talk to you."

The Doctor took the phone.

"Yes, Jackie?"

"Doctor? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"They didn't get you?"

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"No. They didn't get me. I escaped," the Doctor replied. "I managed to evade them until I found Rose again."

"Thank God, please look after her. Some maniac made it permanently night, and all the vampires are out constantly roaming the streets."

"I will take care of Rose," he said, taking her hand. "I will protect her with my life."

"I know you will, and I hope you find the bastard who's keeping it night all the time."

The Doctor swallowed hard.

"Yeah, I hope I can find them too," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Anyway, I better let you go, so you can get on with finding the people that did this and putting things right. Just keep in touch."

"We will, and take care of yourself."

"Yeah, you too," Jackie said. "Let me talk to Rose again. Goodbye, Doctor."

"Bye, Jackie."

The Doctor handed Rose the mobile. As Rose said her goodbyes, Jack, and the others walked up to him.

"Okay, we've all agreed to trust you for the moment. What do you want us to do?"

Rose hung up and looked at the Doctor while he thought that over.

"We have to go back to the main building and try to disable the time loop machine. First though, we have to lure as many vampires out in the open as we can, so when the time loop ends, and the sun comes back, they'll be fried."

"Okay, how do we do that?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. He glanced at Jack.

"An execution," he said.

"Beg pardon?" Jack said.

"You attacked vampires and injured them, that's a capital offense for mortals. That means I could sentence you and Ianto to death. Now, as leader of the vampires, I can order all the vampires to attend it. If I use Wembley Stadium, and we fill it up with vampires. We can pretend to hold an execution there while the rest of your team destroys the time loop machine. The guards will have to attend on my orders, so there will be no one there to stop them. We keep the vampires busy with the fake execution, the machine gets destroyed, and bammo, the vampires fry to a crisp."

"But, Doctor, you'll fry too," Rose said, grabbing his arm. "I won't let you kill yourself along with the rest of them."

"Ah, but I worked that out too. I have a way to construct a mini force field that will go around my body and block out the UV rays from the sun. That's what kills the vampire. As long as I'm protected from the UV rays, I can be out in the daytime. I was going to do that anyway, so I would have a way to leave the TARDIS, so this'll work out for me."

The Doctor put his hands on Rose's shoulders.

"Now, I need a way to make you appear undead. I can't have you walking around as a mortal. It looks suspicious if you are outside my harem, and I haven't converted you. We have to make you look like a vampire, so no one will ask questions. Only problem with that is your breathing and heartbeat. They'll be able to hear that."

"I might be able to help with that," Jack said. "We have these pills that used to belong to the Zynthoidara. Do you know them?"

"Yes, they love blood sport. They're very bloodthirsty, ruthless creatures."

"They also like to hunt other creatures," Jack said. "And one of their techniques is to play dead and lure prey to them. They have a pill that masks their breathing and heartbeat and gives them the appearance of being dead. It's kinda like in Romeo and Juliet when the friar gave Juliet the potion to make her appear dead, so she could leave with Romeo. The only difference is, it doesn't knock you out. You appear dead right down to the pale skin, but you're perfectly fine. We used the pills a couple of times when we needed to lure dangerous aliens to us. If Rose takes one, she'll look like a vampire, and they won't be able to hear her breathing, or her heartbeat. It'll be less riskier than using makeup on her."

"How long do the pills last?"

"Up to three hours. We can give her several, and when it's almost time for one to run out, she can take another. The only thing is if you take them, your eyes look dead too, but we have colored contacts she can wear to fix that."

"Good, and I can give Rose a crash course on basic vampire etiquette in case she needs it. The language she might need to use, and basic rituals. With that, and your pills, she will be able to convince everyone else she's undead, which gives her added protection as well. So, let's go ahead and put this plan in motion before anyone figures out what has happened to me. The quicker we do this, the quicker we can sort things out and get everything back to normal."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The Doctor sat in his laboratory working on the mini force field. He was constructing a small box that he could turn on and off and keep in his pocket, or clipped to his trousers. It was very delicate work, and he was starting to get a headache and eyestrain trying to piece all the little components together, but he ignored it. Time was short, and he needed to get back to London soon before someone went to look for him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at Rose.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Slowly, but surely," the Doctor replied. "It's tedious work, but I've about got it assembled."

"Are you sure it'll work?"

"Not entirely, I'll have to cross my fingers and hope for the best."

Rose put her hand against his cheek.

"I don't want to lose you," she said.

The Doctor smiled and kissed her hand.

"You won't, I promise," he said.

He stroked his hair.

"Jack gave you the pills?"

"Yeah," Rose said, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing several white pills.

"Good, I have a wig for you to wear and a couple of clip-on earrings. I want you to look a bit Goth, so it'll help to convince them that you really are undead."

He embraced her.

"I'm glad it's just a disguise. Rassilon, when I think of how close I came to converting you..."

He shook his head.

"Doctor, that wasn't you in that office, not really. That was someone that the vampires made. You…did nothing to me."

"Just the same, I'm glad it didn't happen. I can't believe the crap that was coming out of my mouth. I'm glad you didn't believe me when I told you it was better being immortal than mortal, it's not. This sucks…no pun intended. And believe me, when this plan has been carried out, I am getting rid of these piercings permanently. That and the leather coat and the hair. Oh Rassilon, I still can't believe I dyed my hair jet black. I look horrible."

"Well, actually, this hair color isn't that bad. It would have been worse if you had dyed it purple, or orange, or something."

The Doctor shuddered.

"Ugh, purple hair, don't even say that," he said, as Rose giggled.

She stroked his hair affectionately. Laying her hand on his back, she watched for a moment while the Doctor worked on the force field and then with a sigh, she kissed the back of his neck and went to take a nap in her bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Rose?"

Rose slowly opened her eyes and noticed the Doctor kneeling by her bedside.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

"I finished the force field," he replied. "I want you to come with me. I have a device in the lab that can simulate UV rays, and I need to you to pull me away from it if the force field doesn't work."

Rose nodded. She got up from her bed, and the Doctor took her hand, as she stood up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor lay down on a metal table while Rose stood nearby. He held the small metal box in his hands, pushed a red button on it and put it in his pocket.

"Okay, I'm ready," he said to Rose.

Rose frowned.

"I can't see anything."

"No, the force field is invisible. I did that so no one could tell I had it."

"Then how do you know its working?"

"I pushed the button, that's the only proof I have," the Doctor said, shrugging. "Now, slide this table underneath that big scanner over there.

Rose nodded and wheeled the table over to the scanner near the back of the room.

"Now, you see that white dial. Turn it all the way to the right," he instructed.

Rose reached up and turned it.

"Now, there's a black switch near the dial. See it?"

"Yup."

"Flip the switch."

Rose started to push it. Then, she leaned over and gave the Doctor a kiss on the lips. The Doctor smiled, as he nuzzled her cheek.

"I'll be alright, Rose. Just go ahead and flip the switch," he said, tenderly.

Rose nodded. She put her finger on the switch, hesitated a moment, and then flipped the switch. She heard a humming noise and glanced worriedly at the Doctor. The Doctor stared up at the scanner while he twiddled his thumbs. He looked at her.

"It's working, I guess. I'm not being barbecued," he said, shrugging.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad."

"Yeah, me too. I don't fancy spending the daylight hours cooped up in the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "Okay, turn off the machine then."

Rose flipped the switch while the Doctor slid out and stood up.

"Okay," he said, reaching into his pocket and turning off the force field. "That problem's solved, now let's go see if we can't Goth you up a bit."

He took her hand, and they walked to the wardrobe room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh Rassilon, you look bizarre," the Doctor said, as he stared at the black wig Rose was wearing. "Black is definitely not your color, angel."

Rose stared at herself in the full-length mirror. In addition to wearing the wig, she also had fake lip and nose rings.

"You know when I was younger, I actually was gonna get my nose pierced," she said, staring at it. "And now that I see what it looks like, I'm glad my mum talked me out of it."

She looked at the Doctor.

"Do I need to put on black makeup too?"

The Doctor shook her head.

"No, that's more a mortal thing. Not many vampires wear black makeup. Having said that, a lot of vampire women do wear blood red lipstick and dark eye shadow colors, they feel it accentuates their skin. You don't have to do that unless you want to though. I just want to do enough to convince everyone that you're a vampire. The hair and the piercings will suffice."

He stared at her clothes.

"No, actually, there is one more thing. Vampire women usually wear dresses. You can't go in there in jeans and a tee-shirt, trust me."

Rose groaned.

"Oh God, do I have to?"

"Yes, Rose, you have to. Vampire women consider themselves to be extremely sophisticated. None of them would be caught undead in the clothes you're wearing. When this is over, you can go back to looking like a slob, but for the moment, you are a vampire woman, so you will dress accordingly."

"What'd you mean, slob? I'm not a slob."

"Rose, you never dress up, you're always in jeans, and tees, and hoodies. Sorry, but I consider that slobby for a girl. Now, come with me, and I'll find you a nice dress and shoes to wear. If you are going to be the consort of the most powerful vampire in the world, you will dress like it. Now, come with me."

Rose sighed and followed him, as he climbed the stairs to the next level of his wardrobe room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack looked up, as the Doctor and Rose walked into his office. He stared at Rose. In addition to the black wig and piercings, she was wearing a black evening dress, and heels, and had on brown eye shadow, and blood red lipstick. There was a small gold bracelet on her left wrist, and a gold ring on her right ring finger. Jack whistled softly.

"Wow, I have to say, the whole vampire look suits you," he said.

Rose grinned.

"Thanks, the Doctor doesn't like the black wig though."

"Oh, I don't know, it doesn't look that bad on you," Jack said.

The Doctor snorted.

"Harkness, she could have every color of the rainbow in her hair and a Mohawk, and you'd still be turned on." He said, as Rose giggled.

He turned Rose to her side.

"Now, before I show you this, this is only makeup, so don't go berserk and try to stake me," the Doctor said to him.

He pulled her hair back away from her neck and showed him two fake puncture wounds. Jack walked over and stared at them for a moment.

"Oh Rose, you poor thing, how could this monster do this to you?" Jack said, pointing to the Doctor.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I don't know, Jack," Rose said, playing along. "It all happened so fast. I was lying there taking a nap and the next thing I knew he was at my neck. Oh Jack, help me! Save me from this dark fiend."

The Doctor sighed when Jack and Rose laughed.

"N'yuk, N'yuk," the Doctor muttered.

Jack looked into Rose's mouth.

"Where's your chompers though?" he asked.

"She doesn't need them," the Doctor said. "Vampire fangs are retractable. The only time she would show them is if she was feeding, or fighting, and she's not doing either."

Jack looked at the Doctor's mouth. The Doctor opened his mouth and showed him his normal looking canines.

"Happy now?" he asked Jack.

"No, make the fangs come out now," Jack said.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth, and Jack grinned while he watched the canines slowly elongate.

"Cool, I wish I could do that. I have a feeling nights with Ianto would be a lot more interesting."

"Make the face now, Doctor," Rose said, nudging him.

The Doctor stared at her.

"The face?"

"Yeah, you know…the face…you made earlier with the guards."

The Doctor's eyes widened in understanding. He looked at Jack, and his face contorted into the demon face.

"Whoa!" Jack said stepping back.

He stared at the demonic face and yellow eyes.

"This is the face Rose was talking about," the Doctor said, in his deep voice.

Jack stared at him wide-eyed.

"That…is disturbing." He said, pointing to the Doctor.

Just then, Ianto came into the room carrying a cup of coffee.

"Here's your coffee, Jack," he said.

He yelled and dropped the cup when he saw the Doctor. Jack winced when the cup shattered, spilling coffee all over the floor. The Doctor's face went back to normal while Jack walked over to the shaken Ianto.

"Sorry about that, Ianto, the Doctor was showing me one of his vampire abilities. I'll clean up the mess."

"You do that, I need to go find Owen and get some nitroglycerine, so I can start my heart again," Ianto replied.

He walked back out the door, and Jack closed it.

"Okay, in future, I will remember to close the door when you are making the demon face," Jack said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor stood at the console, preparing to leave. Jack and Ianto sat on the captain's chair while the rest of the team stood nearby.

"So, we stay in here until this fake execution?" Owen asked.

"Yes, I'll send word to you when it's time, so you'll know. I'll try to have everyone out of the building well before the execution, so you lot will have plenty of time to get in there and get it destroyed. You have the schematic I drew for you?"

"Yes," Gwen nodded.

"Good, use that, and you shouldn't have any trouble getting to the room. Once you're there, destroy that thing any way you can and try to take the pieces with you just in case some vampires survive. I don't want any survivors duplicating the design."

They nodded.

The Doctor noticed Gwen, Tosh, and Owen looking past him and he, and Jack, and Ianto turned to see Rose walking into the console room. She had just taken one of the pills, and everyone gasped when they saw her. Her skin was now just as pale as the Doctor's was, and she had the same cadaverous look to her.

"Oh my love," the Doctor murmured under his breath. "I thank every diety I know that I didn't convert you. I hate how pale you look now, my precious Rose."

Jack flinched when he saw the pale, dead eyes.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot your colored contacts. I'll get them now," he said, leaping up and running out.

Rose walked to the Doctor's side. He swallowed when he stared at her dead eyes. He had seen those same eyes a thousand times in his nightmares. Nightmares where he watched Rose die in his arms, after being powerless to save her. He looked to the floor, unable to look into them any longer. Rose, understanding his reaction, shut her eyes and moved closer to him, so he wouldn't have to see them.

Jack returned a few minutes later, carrying a small white box.

"Okay, I tried to get as close to her original eye color as I could," Jack said, handing the box to the Doctor.

He opened it, and Rose opened her eyes and looked at the contacts.

"Yeah, they are pretty close," the Doctor said, nodding.

He handed the box to Rose.

"Can you get them in?' he asked.

Rose nodded. She sat the box on the console and slowly put the contacts in. Once she was finished, she looked at the Doctor, and he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he'd no longer have to look at a corpse's eyes.

"Okay," he said. "Now that we got that taken care of, I believe it's time to get the show on the road."

He smiled at Rose.

"Are you ready, my sister?" he asked.

Rose smiled back.

"I am ready, my brother," she replied.

Jack made a face.

"Um, okay, just when I thought nothing could top the demon face on the disturb-o-meter…"

The Doctor rolled her eyes.

"That's how vampires formally address one another, Harkness; it doesn't mean we're committing incest, sheesh, get your bloody mind out of the gutter for two seconds, would ya?"

He shook his head and started the TARDIS, as Rose chuckled and laid her head against his shoulder.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"Okay, is everyone ready?" the Doctor asked.

The TARDIS was sitting inside an abandoned building near the vampire's headquarters. Jack and Ianto were standing near the Doctor. Both of them had their hands tied behind their back, makeup and fake blood had been applied to their faces to make it look as if they had been in a fight, and their clothes had been ripped in several places.

"Are you sure you're gonna get all the vampires out of the building before we go in?" Owen asked the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded.

"All vampires have to do what I say, on pain of death."

He gave Jack a smug grin.

"Cause I'm the leader, you see," he said. "You may be in charge of four people, but I'm in charge of every vampire in the whole world. Sucks…to be you, I guess."

He grinned at Rose.

"Get it, sucks? I made a witty remark," he said, elbowing her in the ribs.

He looked at Jack.

"Vampires are naturally witty, unlike you, who wouldn't know a witty one liner if it came up and bit you in the throat. Sucks…to be you, I guess."

He elbowed Rose in the ribs again.

"See, I used three witty remarks in less than ten seconds, I'm brilliant."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Gee, Ianto, suddenly, I'm missing the old, evil Doctor. At least, he wasn't making awful, annoying puns every chance he got," Jack said, looking at him.

"No, he was just planning to bugger us," Ianto replied.

Jack considered that for a moment.

"Although…looking back, that wasn't such a bad fate, seeing as how it was the Doctor and---"

He shut up, when Ianto gave him a dirty look. Jack gave him one of his winning smiles and quickly changed the subject.

"So, if we go with you back into the lion's den, are we gonna get roughed up by any of your undead goons?" Jack asked the Doctor.

"No one touches you unless I say so."

He leaned over and gave Jack the smug smile.

"Because I'm the leader of the vampires, you see, while you…"

"Yes, Doctor, I get it, you're mister all-powerful vampire, and I'm your little, peon, human concubine, just skip it!" Jack said, while the Doctor snickered.

The Doctor sobered up.

"So, you guys wait in here, and I, or Rose will come and get you when it's time. I'll try to schedule the flaying as soon as I can, so you don't have to wait too long in here."

Jack raised his eyebrow.

"Flaying? That's what you do to people?"

"Sure do," the Doctor said turning around. "First, we whip you a bit, and then we slowly flay you alive, taking great care to make sure you survive it, and then we'll make you walk your skinned self over to a small stone block, you bend your head over the block, and BANG, off with your head. It's great fun for the whole family, spending an evening with the kiddies or chatting away with your mates while you listen to the skinned mortal scream. Sorta like a rock concert for the undead."

Jack stared at the joyful grin on his face for a moment before looking at Rose.

"Have I ever told you just how much the Doctor scares me sometimes," he asked her.

"So, I assume you are gonna make us go through the whipping part?" Ianto asked him.

The Doctor gave him a shocked look.

"No, I'm not making you go through any of it. I will be making a speech to the assembled throng, telling them of your crimes, and condemning you to death and all that, and while I'm doing that, your team will be dismantling the time loop machine and if all goes according to plan, the sun will suddenly appear in the sky, and…mass barbecue."

"And if it doesn't go according to plan?" Ianto asked. "What if you destroy the time loop machine, and it's still the middle of the night?"

"It won't be, trust me," the Doctor said. "I'll keep talking for as long as it takes for the sun to appear, and if it takes awhile, we can do a bit of playacting. Have you scuffle with me while I try to take you to whipping post, or I could even order the two of you to fight gladiator style for our amusement. There are lots of ways to delay your execution."

Jack looked at Ianto.

"You know, I hate this plan more and more with each passing minute," he said to him. "I can just picture the two of us being stripped naked and fighting with broadswords in the middle of Wembley Stadium because the rest of the team can't get to the machine for some reason."

"Personally, I can't think of any reason why they couldn't get to it," the Doctor said, shrugging.

"You're sure?" Jack said.

"Yes, Jack, I told you, if I order vampires to congregate, they will do it!"

"And what, you take attendance at Wembley Stadium, and the ones that don't say present get detention?"

"No, there is no one stupid enough not to come, trust me," the Doctor said to him. "My word is law. I didn't get to where I am, by being mister nice vampire."

"Really? Meaning, what? You fought a bunch of vampires in order to become top vampire?" Jack asked.

"No, I went and confronted the high council with several mates. We knocked them out, dragged them out the door, staked them to the ground beside the Thames and when the sun came up, the elite, ruling class became several piles of ashes. After that, I assumed total authority, and the few vampires that did try to challenge me were quickly dispatched in various, painful ways After that, no one challenged me any longer, and I became the leader of all the vampires. Any questions?"

"Um, no…I don't think I want to hear anymore, thanks," Jack said, shaking his head. "I think it's better if I don't know too much about your past activities."

"Well, to be fair, it was more my so-called friends' idea, because they wanted the elders out of the way. They chose me to be the leader because I had the most authority, but even so, I was basically doing their bidding, even though I thought I was ruling of my own free will. After I took control, they convinced me to work on the time loop machine and improve on my colleague, Ruath's design, which I did. Her original design needed a Time Lord brain to make the machine function. I figured a way around that, which was what they were hoping for. Everything I did, I was doing as their puppet, because they wanted to do what they wanted when they wanted without the elders telling them what to do. That's why the vampires basically went out of control after it became permanently night. With me in charge, there was no one to stop them from rampaging and killing the humans indiscriminately. Like I said, I'm not excusing myself, because I am at fault, brainwashing or no brainwashing, but I just want you to see that the vampires had a bigger plan in mind than just converting me for their amusement. With the ruling class gone, the other vampires will remain out of control, which is why we have to kill as many as we can. Now, with this stunt of mine, I can get most, if not all the vampires in London, and I'm hoping that once the sun comes up, vampires will be destroyed in other places as well. The survivors that are left after the mass extermination will be unable to cause any significant damage, and without any real leadership, they won't be able to regroup and fight back."

"Are there a lot of vampires in London?" Rose asked.

"Oh yeah, like I said, without the elders to control them, the vampires basically went on a spree, killing and converting humans wherever they could find them. Trust me, Rose; there are enough vampires now to fill up Wembley Stadium. The good thing is they are dead, so we technically won't be murdering them. We'll just be giving them the peace they deserve. But, enough chit-chat, we better get going. I might be the leader, but I still have to check in from time to time to manage affairs. Plus, I want to bring these two in and call off the search, in case the vampires are out hurting and killing mortals while they're looking. So, my concubines, ready to go?"

Jack and Ianto looked at each other and stood up. Jack looked at the rest of his team.

"Be careful, guys."

"You too, Jack," Gwen said.

Jack nodded. He looked at the Doctor.

"I assume we go first?"

"You assume right, immortal boy, now get a move on before I make your life a living hell!" he snarled at him.

He grinned at Rose.

"Come, my sister, let us get the two blood sacks back to the compound."

Jack eyed him as Rose giggled.

"Blood sacks?" he said to him

"Yes, you heard me, flesh bag, get a move on! Time's a wastin'. I ain't getting any older…or deader, you know."

He giggled when Jack gave him a dirty look.

"Yup, I definitely miss the old, evil vampire you now," Jack said, as he and Ianto walked towards the TARDIS doors.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Jack looked at Ianto, as they walked down the street towards the vampire's headquarters.

"This is completely humiliating," Jack said to him. "I'm so glad there's no one out to see us."

"Silence, blood bag!"

Jack paused and looked around at Rose who was giggling at him. She raised her eyebrow and pointed at him.

"Quit looking at me, human, how dare you look me in the eye. I am your better and don't you forget it."

Jack glanced at the Doctor, who was snickering softly.

"I taught her well," he said, proudly. "That's why I chose her to be a companion. She's a quick learner."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jack muttered, as Rose, and the Doctor grinned at each other.

They neared the building.

"Okay, no more joking now, we have to be deadly serious, or we'll all end up dead," the Doctor said.

The other three nodded. Jack and Ianto bowed their heads while Rose took a deep breath and straightened herself. The Doctor noticed her anxiety and smiled at her.

"You'll be fine, Rose, I'll be right beside you," the Doctor assured her.

Rose nodded, as she put a haughty look on her face. The Doctor reached over and pressed the button. The panel slid open.

"It's me," the Doctor said. "I found the two concubines. Let me in."

The panel slid back, and the door opened. The Doctor gave both Jack and Ianto a shove.

"Get moving!" he snarled at them.

Jack gritted his teeth when he heard the guard snickering. He longed to punch him in the nose, as he and Ianto walked inside.

Rose walked beside the Doctor, as they led Jack and Ianto towards the back of the compound. As they walked, they came to the den, and Rose saw people sitting around talking to each other as before. This time, they gave her little more than a glance, but their eyes went to Jack and Ianto, and she saw a mixture of contempt and hunger in them. She realized then just how big a difference it made being a vampire in this place. She was glad the Doctor though to make her up like one, but at the same time, she was concerned for Jack and Ianto. She hoped no one would hurt them when the Doctor wasn't looking. They left the den and walked down the corridor. Rose noticed that Jack and Ianto were casting furtive glances around, and she figured they were trying to memorize the layout. As they neared the office the Doctor had confronted the guards in, a door opened, and a vampire with red hair came out into the hall and walked up to the Doctor. He took one look at Jack and Ianto and looked at the Doctor.

"You found them, then?"

"Yes, I did. They thought they were clever, but not clever enough. I managed to sneak up and get the drop on them."

The vampire looked at Rose and stared at her with interest.

"Who might this pretty thing be?" he said, gesturing to her.

The Doctor smiled at her.

"This is Rose. Lucius, Rose, Rose, Lucius."

Lucius's eyes widened.

"At last, the fabled Rose Tyler," he said, stepping around Jack and Ianto.

He took her hand and gave it a soft kiss.

"I've heard so much about you," he said to her. "The Doctor talked about you so much, I almost feel as though I know you."

Rose glanced at the Doctor wondering what he had told him.

"It's nice to meet you, my brother," she said, smiling.

Lucius grinned.

"My, my, knows the formalities already. I assume you just turned her."

"I did. I met her when the TARDIS landed and convinced her to go with me."

"Really, well, she is a nice addition to our clan," Lucius purred, kissing her hand again.

He let go of her hand and walked in front of Jack and Ianto. Rose flinched when Lucius grabbed them by their hair and jerked their heads up. The Doctor put his hand on her arm, and Rose quickly hid her shock. Just the same, she felt the anger rise within her when she saw the gloating look on Lucius's face.

"Well, well, not so rebellious now, are we?" Lucius said, sneering at Jack. "You, and your friend made a huge mistake trying to escape from us. I'm sure the Doctor here will show you no mercy now, will you, Doctor?"

"Nope, I'm sentencing them to death as soon as I can, so I want you and the others to spread the word. I want everyone to gather in Wembley Stadium, so they can witness their death personally."

Lucius gave him a delighted grin.

"I like your style, mate, big and flashy," he said.

He looked at Jack and ran his finger down his cheek.

"But, you know, it would be a shame to execute these two without having a bit of fun," he said.

"No, no playtime. I don't want to risk them escaping again. I want them put to death as soon as possible, so they are out of my hair."

Lucius regarded Jack quietly.

"But, isn't this one immortal?" he said. "How you gonna kill him?"

"Chop him up into tiny pieces, give the pieces to my fellow undead, and have them scatter his remains to the four corners of Britain."

Lucius nodded. He looked at Jack.

"See, mortal, the Doctor thinks of everything, that's why he's the leader. You shouldn't have messed with him."

"Go to Hell," Jack spat out.

Lucius snarled. Rose flinched when Lucius decked him, and the Doctor had to grab her arm, to keep her from hitting him back.

"If I'm going to Hell, you're going first, mate," Lucius snarled at Jack. "And believe me, I'm gonna have the Doctor pull your flippant little tongue out of your head for saying that."

He decked him again. Jack reeled back, and the Doctor quickly caught him.

"That's enough," the Doctor snarled at Lucius. "We're back here behind him, if you haven't noticed."

Lucius walked towards him.

"I'm sorry, love," he purred. "You know me; I have a problem controlling my temper, especially when mortals talk back to me as if they're my equal. I won't let it happen again, yeah?"

The Doctor smiled and nodded. Rose stiffened when Lucius put his hand on the back of the Doctor's neck and gave him a passionate kiss. Rose had to look away from it. As she did, she noticed that Jack and Ianto were glancing back and giving each other pointed looks.

Lucius broke off the snog after a moment, and glanced over at Rose.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rosie. I didn't mean to snog your lover in front of you. Old habits die hard, I guess."

Rose remained silent, fearing that if she opened her mouth, a string of curse words would come out. She glanced up at the Doctor and noticed he was trying to hide his embarrassment from her.

Lucius stepped back and gestured to Jack and Ianto.

"So, when are these two gonna die then?"

"In a couple of hours, I need you to round up the others and spread the word. Tell every vampire you see to tell others to come. I want everyone in London to witness their execution."

Lucius's eyes widened.

"Wow, you two must have really pissed the Doctor off to get a public execution. Sucks to be you, doesn't it."

Jack gritted his teeth waiting for him to elbow him in the ribs and say, "Get it?" But to his relief, he looked at the Doctor and nodded his head.

"Consider it done, mate. Me, and the others were just going out to feed anyway. We'll certainly pass the word along."

"Excellent. Now, if you don't mind, I want to get these two secured in a room."

"Course, love, you do what you have to do."

He leaned in.

"I'll see you later, then," he whispered in the Doctor's ear.

Rose stiffened when he gave him another kiss. He pinched his cheek, winked at Rose, and with a chuckle, walked off down the hall.

"Boyfriend?" Jack muttered, looking back at him.

The Doctor coughed nervously.

"Not by choice," he muttered back.

He looked at Rose, looked around, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"It didn't mean anything, it was only acting this time," he whispered in her ear.

"I know," Rose whispered back.

He gave her hand a squeeze and looked at Jack and Ianto.

"Well," he murmured to them. "Phase one is over with, now we have to get ready for your command performance at Wembley Stadium. So, what I'm gonna do is take you to an empty room and loosen your bonds, so you can rest. I'll come and get you two when it's time, and tie you back up. I have a few more things to do and then we'll finally be able to finish this whole thing once and for all."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The Doctor sat in his office filling out fake execution papers for Jack and Ianto, while Rose sat nearby. The office he was currently in was not the one he had used to confront the guards. This one was a bit nicer with better furniture, although it still wasn't as nice as the one at Canary Wharf. He paused a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Ugh, paperwork," he muttered to Rose. "Now I know why I don't keep records on the TARDIS. This is mind numbing work."

"Do you have to do it?"

"Unfortunately, yes, we may have gotten rid of the high council, but a lot of the bureaucratic crap remains. Trust me, before I came to power, there was a lot more than this. Seemed like you had to fill out a form to take a pint of blood from someone's neck. Death warrants, and execution papers are still needed because they want to have a record of which mortals were executed, in case they lose track of who went where and suddenly think that someone escaped when they didn't, otherwise this would have gone the way of the rest of the red tape."

He shook his head.

"Humans…live, or dead, or undead, you always gotta leave a paper trail wherever you go," he muttered.

He sighed when he reached the bottom of the paper and signed his dot and dash signature to it. Rose leaned over and glanced at it.

"That really say Doctor?" she asked.

"No, this says, Oncoming Storm, actually," the Doctor said. "I can't use my real name since there is no word in the vampire language for doctor. Doctors aren't exactly in big demand among the undead, as you can probably tell. So, I had to improvise."

"How do you pronounce that?" Rose asked, pointing to it.

"Sturgi Vrash," he said, rolling the r's.

"Hmm, that's very pretty, actually," Rose commented.

The Doctor nodded. He grabbed a piece of paper, thought for a moment, and then drew a line, then put a dot over it, and then drew another line on top.

"Your name," he said, showing her. "Tirsi."

"Does that mean, Rose?"

"Yup."

I like that too, it's a very pretty language."

"Yes, it is, shame the people who speak it are…"

He looked at Rose and mouthed, barbaric murderers. Rose nodded in agreement. He laid Jack's execution paper aside and started on the one for Ianto. Rose watched him filling it out.

"Doctor?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think Jack and Ianto will be alright?" she whispered.

The Doctor nodded.

"They're fine, Rose, no one will dare touch them, trust me. We're about finished here and then we can begin," he whispered back. "Hopefully everyone in the building is out and making their way to Wembley Stadium, and we can get Jack and Ianto there without anyone harassing them. We also need to stop by the you-know-where, so we can tell the others we're ready."

Rose nodded.

The Doctor finished filling out the execution order and signed his name with a flourish.

"There, a useless formality, but I did it to kill time, just in case someone wanted to come in here and speak to me or something. I hope that after tonight, we will not have to worry about certain groups of people any longer, and I won't have to do anymore unnecessary paperwork.

He groaned and raised himself out of his chair. He took Rose's hand.

"Are you ready for the final act, my dearest?" he asked, kissing her hand.

"Ready when you are."

He smiled at her.

"Then let's get this execution under way," he said.

Rose nodded and followed him to the door. He opened it, peeked out, and seeing no one was around, led Rose to the room where Jack and Ianto were being held.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack and Ianto looked over when the door opened, and the Doctor stuck his head in.

"Hi," the Doctor said to them. "We're with the blood bank. Would you gentlemen be interested in making a donation?"

He opened his mouth and pointed at his fangs.

"No, thanks, I gave at the office," Jack said, as he chuckled.

He walked inside with Rose and closed the door.

"You two alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, except your boyfriend came in awhile ago for a bit of sexual harassment," Jack said.

The Doctor knelt down next to him, as he reached behind them, and retied their bonds.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, concerned.

"No, he was just gloating," Jack said. "However, Ianto and I had to practically become one with the wall, so he couldn't see that our hands were untied. Luckily, he took that to mean we were terrified of him, so he didn't try to pull us away from the wall."

He glanced at Rose.

"He did go into some of the things you two used to do. He's a very vain man, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," the Doctor replied, finishing with Jack's bonds. "Whatever he told you, I wasn't in my right mind when I did that. That was the chip, or whatever it was, in the back of my mind."

He paused a moment and sniffed Ianto's neck.

"You drink a lot of coffee, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, why?" Ianto asked.

"Because I can smell it in your blood."

Jack snickered.

"Told ya, you drink too much, Ian," he said.

The Doctor paused, leaned over, and sniffed Jack's neck.

"You had a burger and chips earlier tonight. Smells nice. I might have a nip at your neck. Chips sound good right about now."

"You better not, if you know what's good for you," Jack said.

"Actually," the Doctor said, turning back to Ianto. "Your blood has the same scent as vampires. Vampire blood has this…oh, it's hard to describe, but you can tell who is an immortal from the way their blood smells. Your immortality has apparently given you the same scent as me, so feel honored."

"Mmm, I'll be sure to use that as a selling point to the police when I'm trying to convince them to let us handle a case," Jack said. "I'm sure they'll be impressed when I tell them I have blood that smells like a vampire."

"What about me?" Rose asked walking up to him. "What does my blood smell like?"

The Doctor looked around at her.

"Guess."

"Um…chips?"

"Spot on," he said, touching his nose. "I might have a go at your neck too. All you people eating chips, and I can't anymore. It makes me jealous."

He finished Ianto's bonds.

"Okay, I tried to make it tight, but not uncomfortable. Are you guys alright?"

Jack and Ianto nodded.

"Good. Rose, help me get them on their feet."

Rose walked over. They helped Ianto to his feet, and then Jack.

"Okay," the Doctor said, scratching his chin. "We're gonna have to figure out a way to do this. See, the vampires probably assumed that Rose and I would be flying you over to Wembley, but since I'm the only one who can fly, that means I have to figure out a way to transport three people. Not to mention I have to be careful going towards Wembley since it'll look strange if I'm carrying Rose when she's supposed to be able to fly on her own. Not to mention we'll have to be careful going over to the TARDIS as well, since there may be vampires who can see us, as they're going towards the stadium. So…let's see…how will I do this?"

"Can you carry them to the TARDIS, and I'll just run over there?" Rose said.

The Doctor looked at her.

"Are you sure you're okay with that? I don't want something to happen to you. You look like a vampire, but that doesn't mean someone won't try to proposition you. Hmmm…"

"Do you have any more rope?" Jack asked him. "Can you tie one of us to your back and carry the other two?"

The Doctor considered that.

"That might work," he said, nodding. "Question is, who is going on my back?"

"I will," Rose said. "I'm the lightest."

The Doctor shrugged.

"I have enhanced strength. So, it doesn't matter who I carry on my back. Any one of you will do."

"Let Rose do it though," Jack said. "If something happens, I'd rather she was secured to you if you have to make a quick getaway."

"I feel the same way," Ianto said. "Let Rose go on your back, Jack and I are fine with being carried."

"Rose? Is that alright?"

"Yeah, as long as it's alright with them," Rose said.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I think I will do that. I just don't trust you walking by yourself. Especially if someone gets a bit randy and decides to follow you. We'll get outside and then we'll tie you to my back, okay?"

Rose nodded.

"Okay, well, let's get going then, I'm anxious to get this over with."

"You ain't the only one," Jack said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucius entered into the compound. He had just made a pass over Wembley Stadium. It had been filled to capacity, but he hadn't seen the Doctor there. Wondering if the prisoners were giving him any trouble, he decided to check up on them and see if he could help.

As he walked through the compound, he noticed that everyone had left. For a moment, he wondered if the Doctor had also left, and then he heard his voice coming from a room up ahead.

"Okay, we're gonna have to figure out a way to do this. See, the vampires probably assumed that Rose and I would be flying you over to Wembley, but since I'm the only one who can fly, that means I have to figure out a way to transport three people. Not to mention I have to be careful coming going towards Wembley since it'll look strange if I'm carrying Rose when she's supposed to be able to fly on her own. Not to mention we'll have to be careful going over to the TARDIS since there may be vampires who can see us, as they're going towards the stadium. So…let's see…how will I do this?"

Lucius raised his eyebrow.

"What the hell does he mean he's the only one who can fly?" he muttered under his breath. "Can't Rosie fly now? And why does he need to go back to his TARDIS without any vampire seeing him? What the hell is going on?"

He listened quietly. As he listened, he suddenly got a sneaking suspicion that something had happened to the Doctor. From what he could hear, he seemed to be very chummy with the two prisoners. And the whole thing about needing to tie Rose to his back was very strange.

"I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, and if they've somehow changed the Doctor back, I swear I will stuff them all in coffins and bury them alive. We've come too far for the Doctor to change back now. Still, I'll just follow them at a distance and see what's really going on."

He heard the door opening and quickly sped into the den. He hid in the shadows behind a couch and listened as the Doctor, Rose, and the two captives went past him. Once they were gone, he rose up from behind the couch, and growling under his breath, hurried off after them.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Owen, Tosh, and Gwen looked up when the front door opened, and the Doctor came inside followed by Rose, Jack, and Ianto. He draped the ropes he had used to tie Rose to him over the railing and walked to the console.

"Is it time?" Owen asked.

The Doctor nodded and closed the door.

"Finally, some action," Owen said. "I was getting tired of waiting around your ship."

"Are you that eager for Ianto and me to be executed?" Jack asked.

"No, I'm eager to get this time loop machine trashed, so we can see some bleedin' sunlight. I'm sick of constant night. Let's get to it, so we can fry the vampires and go back home."

He looked at the Doctor.

"I'm assuming the building is clear now?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Yes, as far as I know, all the vampires are at Wembley, or they're headed there. However, there has been a slight change in plans, and it involves Gwen."

"Me?" Gwen said.

The Doctor nodded.

"Could I speak to you privately for a moment, please?" he said to her.

"Um…yeah, sure."

The Doctor beckoned to her, and Gwen followed him out of the console room. Owen and Tosh watched them go and looked at Jack.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, he didn't tell us there was a change in plans."

Owen glanced at Tosh.

"You think he's relapsing and falling back under the vampire's control?" he said.

Jack shook his head.

"No, he's not. This is nothing new. He makes things up as he goes along, trust me, this is very him," Jack said, as Rose nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, the Doctor and Gwen came back into the room.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"I'm staying behind," Gwen said to him.

"Why?" Tosh asked.

"The Doctor needs someone to keep an eye on the TARDIS while you're gone," she explained.

Jack frowned.

"The vampires wouldn't be able to break in here. Not even the Daleks can get inside," he said, to the Doctor.

"Yes, but I can," the Doctor said. "This is a very tricky situation. If I'm captured and fall into the vampire's hands, they'll brainwash me again, if they don't kill me outright. If they capture all of you, then there will be no one to guard the TARDIS. I'm going to punch in some coordinates before we leave. If something happens and I try to get in here, Gwen can push a button and take the TARDIS away from here. Whatever happens, they can't get in here and gain the power of time travel. My fears may be unfounded, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. With the vampires at Wembley, you and Tosh shouldn't have any trouble getting in and dismantling the machine.

"Is that alright?" Gwen asked them.

Owen and Tosh glanced at each other and nodded.

"Yeah, we'll be able to take care of it on our own," Tosh said.

The Doctor nodded. He looked at Rose.

"As for you, you better go and take another one of those pills before we leave."

"Yeah, good idea," Rose replied.

She left the console room while the Doctor walked to the console and entered some coordinates in the computer. She returned a few minutes later.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said.

"Good, let's get going then. I don't want to keep the undead waiting."

They walked over to the ramp. The Doctor grabbed the rope and Tosh and Owen helped tie Rose to his back. Once she was secure, the four of them walked in unison to the door. The Doctor opened it, looked out, and looked back at the others.

"Wait about five minutes and then make your way to the compound," the Doctor said, to Owen and Tosh. "And be careful."

"You too," Owen said.

Jack smiled at them, and he and Ianto followed him out the door.

Once they were outside, the Doctor closed it, grabbed Jack and Ianto and held them tight under their arms. The Doctor slowly rose into the air and then picked up speed, as he flew towards Wembley Stadium.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucius was perched on a nearby building watching them, as they flew off into the night sky. His eyes went to the TARDIS, and he stared at it intently. He had been sitting there listening, trying to hear any hint of conversation inside the ship, but to his complete annoyance, he hadn't been able to hear anything.

"What are you up to, Doctor?" he muttered to himself. "I'll find out what you're planning, even if I have to torture the truth out of you."

Growling in frustration, Lucius rose into the air and headed towards Wembley Stadium. A few minutes later, the TARDIS doors opened, Owen and Gwen stepped outside, shut the door, and headed towards the compound.

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The Doctor landed about a half mile away from Wembley Stadium. They kept to the shadows while he untied Rose from him. He checked Jack and Ianto's bonds, made sure they were secure, and then all of them walked towards the stadium.

Rose's eyes boggled when they walked into the center of the stadium. Not only was every single seat filled, but, there were at least a hundred vampires sitting on the awnings. She realized now how dangerous it was being here. If they were found out before Owen and Tosh dismantled the machine, there would be no escape for any of them. They would be dead before they knew what hit them. Trying to keep her composure, she made a show of pushing Ianto hoping that everyone was buying it. Jack and Ianto, for their part, were pretending to struggle and were shouting curses at the top of their lungs, which delighted the crowd. The Doctor glanced at Rose and pointed towards a dais in the center of the field. On it, Rose could see a couple of metal tables that were bolted down, a rack that held several torture implements and knives, a microphone on a stand, and beyond the dais, several small stone blocks arranged in a neat row. She gave the Doctor a questioning look.

"All this was set up since you ordered the executions?" she whispered.

"No, this has been here for quite some time. Vampires usually use Wembley Stadium to carry out their executions. Like I said, it's entertainment for the undead. It's disgusting, but at least we didn't have to worry about setting up beforehand and risk blowing our cover. Just do what I say, and we'll get through this alright."

Rose nodded, as he leaned up to Jack and Ianto.

"Go up on the stage and kneel up front. Rose and I will be behind you,"

Got it," Jack whispered back. "Should we struggle?"

"Yes, struggle, yell, curse, make it as real as possible. Give the walking corpses a show."

"No problem. One show coming up," Jack whispered.

He glanced at Ianto, a secret signal passed between them, and they tried to run away. The Doctor and Rose grabbed them. Jack slacked off a bit to make it look like Rose had more strength then she did, but he noticed that wasn't a problem for the Doctor. In fact, he could see Ianto wince a bit in his grip. Jack looked over at the vampires who were yelling and cheering at the sight.

"I never could resist an audience," Jack muttered to himself.

He pretended to thrash around in Rose's arms.

"No, you can't do this to us!" Jack yelled.

"Silence, human," Rose growled at him.

Jack and Ianto pretended to resist, but, at the same time, allowed the Doctor and Rose to push them up onto the dais. Jack hoped it was convincing enough. He looked over at the Doctor.

"Let Ianto go," he yelled at him. "It was my fault. Let me suffer for both of us."

"No, Jack, it's my fault!" Ianto yelled back.

"No, Ianto, I won't let you die for me!"

He paused and looked back at Rose.

"God, this is starting to sound awfully cheesy to me," he said.

Rose chuckled, softy.

They led them across the dais and forced them to their knees near the edge. Jack and Ianto looked up at the cheering, hooting, taunting vampires in the stadium seats and looked at each other.

"Too bad our hands are tied behind our back. We could have some fun while a captive audience watched us. Then again, having our hands tied behind our back could make things a bit more interesting, don't you think?"

"Not now, Jack," Ianto, replied, exasperated.

They both jumped when the Doctor roared into the microphone for silence. Their eyes boggled when every single voice was instantly stilled.

"Damn, he wasn't kidding about being in charge," Jack muttered to Ianto.

"My brothers and sisters, thank you for answering my call tonight!" the Doctor said, to them. "I have brought you here to witness the execution of two people who have been the bane of my existence. I, in my magnanimity, tried to give them both a chance. I tried to be merciful and spare them, but they would not accept the gift I gave to them. They have caused me nothing, but trouble, and so tonight, I will end their wretched lives."

The stadium thundered with cheers. The Doctor looked at Rose who was standing by his side and grinned.

"I am the man," he muttered to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lucius stood in the darkened infield tunnel watching, as the Doctor gave his speech. He narrowed his eyes. He could sense something was wrong, and he knew he had to act fast before the Doctor did something to ruin their reign over the humans. Coming up out of the tunnel, he looked around and spotted Seth and Joshua sitting nearby. He ran over to them.

"There you are, mate," Seth said. "Hey, you're just in time. The executions about to begin and---"

"Never mind that!" Lucius hissed at him. "There's something wrong with the Doctor."

Joshua and Seth looked at him and then looked at the Doctor who was carrying on with his speech.

"Looks normal to me," Joshua said, shrugging.

"Well, he's not. He's acting funny. I overheard him talking back at headquarters. He was saying something about tying Rose to him when he flew because she couldn't do it on her own."

They stared at Rose.

"But, she's a vampire now," Seth said, gesturing to her. "You can tell it from here."

"Then why can't she fly like the rest of us?" Lucius hissed. "I'm telling ya, something is up."

"Well, what do you want us to do?" Joshua asked.

Lucius thought for a moment.

"Get over to the headquarters and make sure the time loop machine is okay," he said to them. "I don't know if it's in danger of being destroyed, but I don't want to take any chances."

Joshua nodded.

"Okay, we'll check it out. But, what are you gonna do?"

Lucius looked at the Doctor. His eyes narrowed.

"I'm gonna have a little chat with the Doctor and Rosie after this execution is through, and if they don't give me the answers I want, they'll find themselves six feet underground in matching coffins, with a stake through their hearts."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

"Is this the place?" Tosh whispered to Owen.

Owen glanced up at the building in front of him and checked the directions the Doctor have given him.

"According to this, it is," he said. "Now let's see if the Doctor left the door unlocked."

They walked up to the front door. Both of them pulled their guns out of their holsters, looked around to make sure no one was around and then Owen pushed on the door. It swung open, and Owen quickly thrust his gun in front of him. He gave the inside a once over and nodded at Tosh.

"All clear," he whispered. "Looks like the Doctor did a good job getting everyone out."

"Good, then let's get this over with and get back out before someone comes back," Tosh replied.

Both of them went inside, and Owen shut the door behind them. He pulled the schematic out of his pocket and studied it.

"Okay, machine is on the second floor," he said to Tosh. "According to this, there's a flight of stairs at the end of this corridor."

He stuffed the directions back in his pocket, and he and Tosh proceeded slowly down the hallway. As they walked, both of them kept their guns out in front of them. Tosh felt her heart beating out of her chest, imagining one of the doors opening, and a vampire leaping out at them. Suddenly, her gun didn't seem like adequate protection. She said as much to Owen.

"Sorry, love, I forgot to bring my holy water and garlic when we left the Hub," he replied.

"Do you think a bullet will stop them?"

Owen shrugged.

"It doesn't stop Jack, so I kinda doubt it. I think the best we can hope for is causing a long enough delay, so we can do what we need to do and scarper out of here."

They reached the stairs. Owen made a quick check of it, and beckoned to Tosh when he didn't see anyone. They slowly climbed the stairs. Owen aimed his gun at the top of the stairs, while Tosh kept an eye on their backs. Reaching the top, Owen checked the schematic once more.

"This way," he said, pointing off to his left. "Third door along on the right hand side."

He glanced back at Tosh, and the two of them headed down the hallway, unaware that two people were now coming up the stairs towards them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Come on, come on," Jack muttered, as he stared at the vampires.

He could tell some of them were getting bored with the Doctor's speech. He was droning on and on, trying desperately to stall for time. But, Jack figured that it wouldn't be too much longer until the vampires lost patience and started braying for his and Ianto's blood. Something had to be done, and fast. So, Jack did what any good leader would do. He made the decision to sacrifice himself for the good of the plan.

"Rose!" he hissed.

Rose looked down at him. She moved closer to Jack.

"Yeah?" she whispered back.

"This is taking too long. The vampires aren't gonna stand it much longer. Tell the Doctor to go ahead and beat me or something."

Ianto jerked his head around and gave him a horrified look. Jack ignored it.

"Jack, are you sure?" Rose whispered.

"Yes, I'm sure. We gotta give this crowd something before they get angry and swarm the stage. The Doc may be their leader, but I'm sure there's a limit to how long they'll be willing to sit on their butts and listen to him talk. Tell him to whip me, beat me, torture me, anything! We gotta stall for more time, and his grand speech isn't gonna cut it!"

Rose swallowed hard and nodded. She walked back over to the Doctor and tapped him on the shoulder. He gave her a questioning look, and she quickly whispered in his ear. She could see the horror on his face, but he quickly masked it.

"Is he sure he wants to do this?" he whispered to Rose.

"Yes, he figures it'll keep them occupied until Tosh and Owen can get to the machine."

The Doctor glanced over at Jack, who was staring at him.

"Do it, Doc," he mouthed to him.

The Doctor felt sick to his stomach. He had tried to avoid doing this. He hated to harm his best friend, but he knew he was right. The crowd was getting restless, and he needed to pacify them with something. He leaned back into the microphone.

"But, enough talk, it's time for action!" the Doctor said.

The crowd roared, a little too loudly, the Doctor thought. Jack had been right about them being bored with his speechmaking. He was filled with revulsion at the sight of them cheering, whistling, and calling for Jack and Ianto's deaths. He cursed Lucius for turning him into one of them and hoped fervently that he would be destroyed with the rest of the vampires.

"Very well, I shall start with the immortal one!" the Doctor yelled.

This was greeted with more cheers, and the Doctor gave Rose an anguished look before they walked over to him. They grabbed Jack under the arms, and he pretended to resist. As they pulled him to his feet, Jack caught Ianto's tormented look, and he gave his lover a brave smile before being pulled away.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" the Doctor hissed in his ear.

"Positive. I've had worse, trust me, just do something before there's a riot," Jack hissed back.

The Doctor loosened his bonds and slipped them off. He and Rose stripped him to his waist, laid him on his stomach on one of the tables, and strapped him down.

"Rose, go over to Ianto and pretend to keep an eye on him. I'd rather you not see this," the Doctor said, once they finished.

Rose put her hand on his arm and gave it a quick squeeze. The Doctor smiled at her and turned his attention to the rack while Rose walked back to Ianto. The Doctor forced himself to go over to the rack and look through the various torture implements. He felt the bile rising in his throat, as he tried to make a decision. He didn't want to use anything here. He felt like puking at the thought of harming the man he loved so dearly. He prayed that Jack's friends would forgive him for what he was about to do. Reluctantly, he decided on the whip, figuring that was the best option. Grabbing it, he turned and slowly made his way back to the table, hoping that any minute the sun would appear and save them all. As he walked over, he checked his pocket making sure that the UV blocker was still in there. He felt it at the bottom of his pocket next to his psychic paper and glasses. Comforted that it was there and turned on; he withdrew his hand and concentrated on the task before him.

He stared down at Jack who turned his head and was looking up at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Jack," the Doctor said, sorrowfully.

"Don't be, Doc, I'm the one who told you to do this. Just get on with it before they get suspicious."

The Doctor nodded. He stepped back slightly, raised his arm, hesitated a moment, and then, brought the whip down onto Jack's bare back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is it," Owen said, as he and Tosh stopped outside a room.

He tried the door and grinned at her when it opened.

"This is our lucky day, Tosh," he said. "Now, at last, we can dismantle this bloody machine, once and for all."

"I think not!"

They jerked their heads around. Owen cursed when two vampires stepped into the hallway and glared at them.

"Crap," Owen muttered.

"I guess Lucius was right about something going on, eh, Seth?" Joshua said, glancing at his friend.

"Yeah, it's a good thing he asked us to come over and check things out. Now, we have two more people to execute."

"Four more, since I'm sure the Doctor and Rosie are in on this, as well," Seth said.

They bared their fangs at them.

"Step away from the door, and we won't rip you to pieces," Joshua said.

Owen sighed, angrily.

"Do as they say, Tosh," he said to her.

Both of them moved away from the door.

"Now, slide your guns over here like good little mortals," Seth said.

They laid their guns on the floor and slid them across to Seth and Joshua, who quickly snapped them up and pointed them at their heads.

"Very good," Seth said. "Now, walk this way, and then, the four of us are gonna take a little flight over to Wembley Stadium."

The two vampires sniggered when Tosh and Owen obeyed.

"Very good, I'm glad you're cooperating. Makes our job so much easier," Joshua said. "Perhaps we'll even spare you, since you're being so obedient. We'd hate to put a bullet in your brains and kill a couple of pretty things like you."

"Speaking of bullets in the brains…"

Seth and Joshua froze when they heard someone behind them. They turned and looked at Gwen, as she stepped into the hallway and pointed her gun at their heads.

"Hi, I'm the Doctor's backup plan. Nice to meet you," she said.

She quickly shot them both in the heads. As they went down, Owen and Tosh ran over, grabbed their guns, and shot them in their hearts. They waited a moment and breathed a sigh of relief when they noticed the vampires weren't moving.

"Think that got them?" Tosh asked.

"Dunno," Owen said. "But I'm not waiting around to find out. Let's dump them in a room and get on with dismantling the machine."

They grabbed the vampires and dragged them to the nearest room.

"What are you doing here?" Owen asked Gwen. "I thought the Doctor told you to stay with the TARDIS."

Gwen smiled.

"That's what he wanted me to tell you. On the way over to the TARDIS, he realized someone had followed him from here. He figured they might come back to ambush you, so he told me to stay behind, leave about ten minutes after you, and come over here just in case."

"Well, God bless the man for thinking of everything," Owen said.

They dumped the vampires in a room, shut the door, and ran down the hall. They entered the room that housed the time loop machine and locked the door behind them. They looked at the large machine sitting in the back of the room.

"Right, gang, demolition time!" Owen said. "Last one to destroy it is a vampire's meal."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Doctor didn't know how much longer he could take this. The sight of Jack in pain was more than he could bear. He gritted his teeth, as he brought the whip down for the twentieth time.

"Come on, you had to have found it by now," he muttered to himself. "What's taking you so long?"

He glanced at Jack and noticed he was staring ahead, blankly. He figured he was either in shock, or he had put himself in a trance, and he hoped it was the latter. He glanced back at Rose. She was standing near Ianto who looked like he was also going into shock. He raised his arm for another blow, and then, let it drop to his side. He just didn't have it in him to do it anymore. Laying the whip on the table at Jack's feet, he walked back to the microphone.

"This is what becomes of people who dare to challenge me!" he said, pointing back to Jack.

The crowd cheered. He gave them all a disgusted look when they hollered for him to start flaying him alive. He looked back at Jack who had recovered slightly and was now staring at him. He walked over to him.

"Do it, Doc," he said.

The Doctor's eyes bulged out of his head.

"Are you insane? I'll kill you!"

Jack shrugged.

"It's not the first time I've died."

"Jack, no, you can't ask me to do this to you. It was bad enough whipping you. I can't flay you alive."

"Then, do something, beat me, cut me. Doctor, we have to keep going until Owen and Tosh can destroy the machine."

Cursing under his breath for allowing himself to be turned into a vampire, the Doctor reluctantly walked over to the rack, so he could select the next torture implement.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The three Torchwood members stood in front of the time loop machine.

"So, what do we do?" Owen asked the two women.

"Trash it," Tosh replied.

"Yes, Tosh, but what if there's some kind of failsafe mechanism on it? What if it's booby-trapped? I don't want to die dismantling the thing."

"If it was booby trapped, the Doctor would have told us that," Gwen said.

"Gwen, the Doctor wasn't exactly in his right mind when he constructed the thing. Suppose he doesn't remember booby-trapping it?" Owen said.

Gwen shrugged.

"We're just gonna have to take that chance, I suppose," she said.

"Okay, so how do we go about doing this?" Owen said.

They gasped and spun around when they heard the vampires pounding on the door behind them.

"Just trash it!" Tosh said. "If it explodes and kills us, it'll take them out with us. Just shoot it, hit it, anything you can do to destroy it, do it before it's too late!"

"Suits me fine," Owen said.

He raised his gun and fired a shot directly into the machine. Gwen and Tosh did the same thing. The three of them shot the machine and watched, as it began to smoke.

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The Doctor grabbed a knife. He stared at it for a moment, and then, with heavy hearts walked over to his friend.

Suddenly, night became day. The Doctor blinked, dropped the knife, and threw his hands over his eyes when he became momentarily blinded.

Then, they heard it. The surprised yells of thousands of vampires that quickly turned into anguished and enraged screams. He blinked again, and his sight returned to him. He looked up and saw every vampire in the stadium was twisting and turning as their bodies smoked and burned. He looked over and noticed Rose had turned her head towards him with a terrified look on her face. He smiled at her, indicating he was all right, and the terror melted into relief. He came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and everyone on the dais watched, as the vampires began to burst into flame. The anguished yells rose in a crescendo of tormented screams that echoed all over the stadium, as every vampire, save the Doctor, burned into a pile of ashes. The pyrotechnic show lasted for a moment before the screams finally died away, and the last of the vampires dissolved into a pile of ash. They looked all around them and grinned when they noticed they were the only four left in the stadium. The four of them laughed and let out a triumphant whoop. The Doctor ran over to Jack, while Rose bent down and untied Ianto's hands.

Jack groaned when the Doctor helped him sit up.

"Ugh, I feel like crap now. You owe me for this, Doc," Jack said.

"Trust me, I will make it up to you somehow," The Doctor said, embracing him.

He let go and hugged Rose, while Ianto walked up to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, worriedly.

"Not really, but I'll survive," Jack replied.

He embraced Ianto.

"I'm just glad you're alright," he said, cupping Ianto's face. "I don't think I could stand it if they had done something to you."

Ianto smiled, and the two of them kissed passionately.

Rose ran her fingers through the Doctor's hair.

"It's over now, Rose, we're safe," the Doctor said to her. "Once again, we're free."

"Yeah, except you're still a vampire."

"Eh, minor problem. I'll have that remedied in no time. But, in the meantime…"

She laughed when the Doctor took his piercings out and threw them as far away from him as he could.

"You've been waiting awhile to do that, haven't you?" Rose said.

"Too right I have, and if I ever get the notion of putting things through my skin ever again, I want you to shove me in a coffin and wall me up in the TARDIS."

"Darn, and here I was hoping we could get matching bolts in our tongues."

She giggled when the Doctor gave her a horrified look.

"Don't even joke about that, Rose Tyler. Why you lot decided that shoving a bolt through you tongue was a good thing is beyond me. You humans, and your crazy customs."

"But, you still love us, yeah?"

He grinned.

"Always have, always will."

He kissed her on the lips and looked over at Ianto, who was supporting Jack while they walked over to them. He draped Jack's free arm around him and helped Ianto walk him off the dais, while Rose followed alongside him.

"I think once we get back to the TARDIS, we should have a little celebration with the rest of your team," the Doctor said, as they walked towards the infield tunnel.

He grimaced when he glanced back at the wounds on Jack's back.

"Just…explain to the others that this was your idea, will ya?" the Doctor said to him. "I really don't want to end up staked through the hearts with a mouthful of garlic."

They reached the tunnel and started down it. Halfway through the tunnel, they suddenly saw someone step out in front of them. The Doctor groaned when he saw Lucius smirking at him.

"Going somewhere, Doctor?" he said. "I believe you and I need to have a little talk."


	23. Chapter 23

Twenty-Three

Owen, Tosh, and Gwen backed up against the wall, while the two enraged vampires tried to pound their way into the room.

"Now, what do we do?" Tosh asked.

"Shoot through the door?" Gwen offered.

"What if we miss though?" Tosh countered. "We can't waste our bullets like that."

Owen glanced over. He noticed a boarded up window beside the machine. He saw sunlight peeking through the wooden boards. Thinking quickly, he began to kick at the machine.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked.

"Trying to get something off the machine that we can use to pry the boards off," Owen said, pointing to the window.

Gwen and Tosh glanced at the window, looked at each other, and ran to the machine. All of them kicked, hit, and pulled on the machine trying to loosen it. Gwen gave the machine a good swift kick and let out a triumphant yell when a huge piece of metal fell off. She grabbed it, ran to the window, and began to pry the boards loose. Owen got a section of the machine to loosen enough that he could pull it off, and he ran to help Gwen. As the door began to splinter and buckle, they pulled the slats off, flooding the room with sunlight.

"Tosh, open the door and let the wankers inside!" Owen said softly, pointing to it.

They managed to pry off another board while Tosh ran over and put her hand on the doorknob. She smiled at her friends, and then, with a flourish, opened the door. The two vampires ran inside, and their triumphant looks instantly turned to shocked and horrified expressions when they saw the sunlight.

"Sorry, boys, maybe you should have bricked up the windows instead," Owen said, as they fell to the floor writhing in pain.

Tosh walked over to Gwen and Owen, and the three of them stood and watched, as flames consumed their bodies. The screams lasted for a full minute before the bodies suddenly dissolved into a pile of ash.

"Wow, that looked painful, glad that wasn't me," Owen said.

He chuckled and hugged Gwen and Tosh. As one, they turned and stared out the window at the sunny day.

"Ah, a beautiful morning," Owen said. "The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the vampires are roasting. It's wonderful."

He grinned at the two women.

"Shall we get back to the TARDIS and await the arrival of the rest of our team?" he asked them.

Tosh and Gwen nodded. He put his arms around them, and the three of them stepped over the piles of ash and walked out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor stepped in front of his friends.

"It's over, Lucius. The vampires are all burnt to a crisp, and you've lost. Accept that."

"Oh, my brothers and sisters may have been incinerated, Doctor, but that doesn't mean I can't kill the one who sent them to their deaths. And, after I finish with you, I will make sure your lover and your friends suffer slowly and painfully before I end their miserable lives."

The Doctor smirked.

"You'll have to get through me first."

"With pleasure."

Lucius bared his fangs. The Doctor did the same, as Rose, Jack, and Ianto backed out of the tunnel into the sunlight. The two vampires began to circle one another in the darkness.

"I don't know how you survived the sunlight, Doctor, but I'm gonna make sure you die, even if I have to rip you into tiny pieces!" Lucius snarled.

"Ah, that's the most important thing, I know how to survive the sunlight, you don't," the Doctor said, smugly. "This means all I have to do is throw you out of this tunnel, and you'll be an immolated immortal."

Lucius roared with rage and lunged at the Doctor. The Doctor kicked out and caught him in the chest. He quickly leapt onto Lucius and decked him before he could recover. Lucius kicked him off and righted himself, while the Doctor stopped himself in mid-air. The two vampires flew at each other and began to pummel one another, as they floated around the tunnel. The Doctor brought his feet up and kicked Lucius square in the chest. He sent him hurtling backwards towards Rose, Jack, and Ianto and they quickly backed up. Lucius hit the sunlight and howled in pain when it began to roast him. He quickly flew forward, his fists raised, as he aimed his body, like a bullet, straight at the Doctor's head. The Doctor hovered in the air, standing perfectly still while Lucius came straight at him. At the last minute, he ducked and grabbed Lucius's leg when he overshot him. He spun around and threw Lucius back towards the tunnel entrance. Rose and the others quickly ducked, as he sailed outside. Lucius let out another howl of pain, as his body began to smoke, and he quickly tried to duck back inside. At the last moment, Jack suddenly jumped up, hit him in the face, and sent him sailing away into the field.

"Jack, duck!" the Doctor yelled.

Jack ducked, as the Doctor rocketed out of the tunnel. He turned his body onto his back and smacked Lucius's stomach with his feet. The vampire was sent further away from the tunnel. By this time, he was beginning to roast alive and parts of his body were turning black and falling away into ash. The Doctor flew towards him and hovered, watching him impassively, as he writhed and thrashed in mid-air.

"You brought this on yourself," he said matter-of-factly, as Lucius burst into flame.

"You haven't seen the last of us, Doctor," Lucius howled.

"Probably not, but I've seen the last of you," the Doctor said, calmly.

Lucius let out one more roar of rage and pain before his body completely dissolved into ash that fell like black snow onto the field. The Doctor landed on the ground beside him and stared at the remains while the others came up beside him.

"And that's how it always ends for people who dare challenge the superiority of Ka Faraq Gatri," he said. "So, beware, all who tangle with the Doctor, lest you become barbecued bacon bits."

The three of them watched, as he rose up into the air.

"For I am the Oncoming Storm," he said, raising his arms into the air. "Enemies tremble at my name and wet themselves with fear when they hear my mighty name! Nations are shaken whenever I step foot onto their soil. Kings and queens bow their heads before me and sing my mighty praises to the heavens above. Yea…"

"Doctor, what the hell are you doing?" Jack asked.

The Doctor looked down at him.

"I'm giving an impassioned victory speech. And you, Harkness, are interrupting my exaltation of myself. It takes a lot of thought to ad lib something like this and make it sound good. Now, where was I? Oh, yes…and yea…I am made of undead awesome! I have opened up my can of vampire whoop-ass and given the Nosferatu something to cry about. O, Lucius, worthy adversary, thou art a pile of soot now because thou thought-est that thou could best me in combat. I have handed thy ass to thee on a platter. Suck-est to be thou, I guess."

He floated down and poked Jack in the ribs.

"Get it, I said suck-est. Get it? I'm a vampire, and I said suck! I'm so delightfully witty!"

Jack rolled his eyes while he and Rose giggled.

"If you're done giving the corny speech to the piles of ash, can we get going, so I can go back to the TARDIS and clean up?" Jack said to him. "I've got blood running down my back, and I'd like to jump in the shower and get it off me."

The Doctor let out a melodramatic sigh.

"Oh, fine, have it your way. I enjoyed being out here in the sunshine, singing my praises to myself, but, if you must clean the dried blood off your back, I suppose I can grudgingly allow you to do so."

He sniggered when Jack looked at Rose and shook his head. She took his hand, and the Doctor's, and all of them headed back out the tunnel towards home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack hugged the Doctor tightly while all of them stood inside the Hub.

"Oh, God, it was so good seeing you again," he said to him.

"You too, Jack. I just sorry we had to meet again while I was a brainwashed slave."

"Eh, it was interesting. I've been in worse places than a vampire's harem. I met a lot of nice people in there. I'm just glad we managed to free them, so they can get back to their normal, everyday lives."

The Doctor nodded.

"Yes, and speaking of normal, everyday life. I'm more than ready to get back in the TARDIS and get back to my non-domesticated life."

He smiled at Rose, who by now had shed the disguise and gone back to normal. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"And once more, I have my little concubine with me to share my adventures."

"P'eh, if you think I'm gonna be your concubine, you better guess again," Rose replied.

He smiled at the rest of the team.

"It was nice meeting all of you. Sorry about the whole misunderstanding back when I was an enslaved bastard."

"Eh, think nothing of it, mate," Owen said. "It's just nice to have you back to normal."

"Well, as normal as he's ever gonna get," Rose added.

The Doctor jerked his head around and eyed her. Rose shrugged, as an amused grin spread over his face.

"Watch it, Tyler, or I'll be taking two pints out of ya tonight!"

"You do, and I'll chain you to a desk and force you to do paperwork."

She laughed when the Doctor looked genuinely horrified at that.

"Oh, geez, don't say that. I'll die of fright, which is saying something, since I'm already dead. Nope, no more paperwork for this Time Lord. I've had my fill of bureaucratic nonsense for this lifetime, and the three to come."

He gave Jack one last hug.

"Don't be a stranger, Doc," he said to him.

"I won't, rest assured," he replied.

"And good luck trying to find a cure," Ianto added.

He smiled at him.

"Thanks," he said, giving him a hug. "Good luck trying to keep this git in line. I know how much of a chore that is."

"Hey!" Jack said.

He smiled and hugged the rest of the team. Then, taking Rose's hand, they walked back into the TARDIS. Jack and the others backed up and watched silently, as the TARDIS faded from view.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Molto bene, let's get this show on the road!" the Doctor said, staring at the monitor.

He felt Rose's arms wrap around him, and smiled, as he put his hand on hers. They kissed each other, and the Doctor gave her a loving look before turning back to the monitor.

"Now, where should we go first?" the Doctor asked her.

Rose sighed contentedly and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I don't care, as long as I'm with you," she murmured.

The Doctor rested his head against hers for a moment while he thought.

"I got it!" he said, looking back at the monitor.

"Where?"

He gave her an impish grin.

"Bahamas."

Rose frowned.

"Why Bahamas?"

"Because it's sunny!"

Rose raised her eyebrow.

"Tempting fate already, are ya?"

"Eh, I'm not scared of a little sunlight, bring it on!" he said. "I'll be the world's first suntanned, walking corpse. Now, let's see, we could go to…"

He chuckled. He looked at her and sang.

"Aruba, Jamaica, oooo, I wanna take you to Bermuda, Bahamas, come on, pretty mama. Key Largo, Montego, baby, why don't we go down to Kokomo. We'll get there fast, and we'll take it slow. That's where we wanna gooooooooo, way down to Kokomo!"

Rose giggled.

"Sounds good to me," she said.

"Bodies in the saaaand," the Doctor continued to sing. "My snow-white body getting nice and tan. We'll be falling in love while I'm draining the life out of a steel drum band. Way down in Kokomo!"

Rose laughed and began to sing with him, while he sat the coordinates and headed for sun, sand, and the promise of a much-needed break on a tropical beach.

THE END.

A/N: If you've been reading this, thank you so much for doing so. I'll be continuing this with a series of stories in the near future. After all, the Doctor needs to find a cure for his vampirism, while he and Rose are traveling around, having adventures.


End file.
